The Bad Boy
by Eastendersfan444
Summary: Don't even look in his eyes, he'll tell you nothing but lies… he's a real bad boy.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue. **

Joey was behind the bar finishing off bottling up when he heard someone coming down the stairs. He frowned, he'd obviously forgotten to close the door behind him again after he'd signed for the delivery earlier. 'We're closed' he yelled out, but the footsteps still came.

'It's me' a quiet but familiar voice said. Joey looked up in surprise, she was the last person he expected to see, the last person he wanted to see if he was being honest. He had nothing to say to her.

'What are you doing here?' he snapped at her angrily.

'I need to tell you something' she said with a shaky voice.

'Yeah, well... I don't need to talk to you so why don't you just piss off and go home' he snapped at her.

'Look there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to come out and say it…..I…' she trailed off.

Joey looked at her. He thought it was possible she'd been crying and she looked tired, even though she'd tried to cover up the dark circles under her eyes with make-up. He felt guilty suddenly, which then made him angry. Why should he feel guilty? She knew what she was getting into. He didn't owe her anything.

'Just say whatever it is you came to say and then crawl back under whatever rock you came out from!' he growled at her. The next words out of her mouth, even though he barely heard them, took the wind out of his sails.

'I'm pregnant, Joey' she whispered.

Joey blinked, letting the words sink in. Words he'd hoped he would never hear. Not from anyone and especially not from her. He wasn't a making a commitment type. He never had been. In all honestly he didn't know if he ever would be. But now it looked as though everything was about to change and he didn't have a choice in the matter. 'Are you sure?' he asked the woman in front of him. She nodded her head once. She looked vulnerable and anxious as she stood before him. Guilt raised his ugly head again. Joey frowned at her.

'I've been to the doctor to have it confirmed' she said quietly.

'Is it mine?' he asked her, a little dismissively. He was always careful. He used a condom every single time he had sex…mostly.

'Yes, it's yours' she replied, an angry frown marring her face 'I'm not the one fucking half the population of East London just for fun' she snapped at him, hot angry tears falling from her eyes. She dashed them away with the back of her hand before taking a calming breath.

'What are you going to do?' he asked her 'I suppose you're here for money for an abortion' her eyes shot up to meet his at his harsh words. 'Well, you know what, darling? There's no guarantee it's mine, so you're going to have to go find someone else to pin this on' He could see the shock and hurt in her eyes before she recovered herself and then her eyes flashed at him angrily. Of course this would be his response. She should've known better than to expect anything else. He was after all Joey Branning. Notorious ladies' man. And now the newly titled King of Dicks. She knew she'd made a mistake telling him. She wasn't sure what she expected him to do or say. Maybe a small part of her thought he would be supportive or nice... but she'd clearly been fooling herself into thinking she would get that reaction from him.

'I'm keeping the baby, Joey, and I don't want or need anything from you' she told him, her voice quiet but strong, 'I just thought you should hear it from me first hand' she told him.

He hadn't expected her to say that, she'd made it clear she hated him. He figured this was her way of payback 'And I don't get a say?' he frowned at her. She looked at him, shaking her head.

'I think you've just had it' she replied, her voice wobbled a little as though she was fighting back tears, the previous strength disappearing at his final attack. He watched as she turned, walked back up the steps and out of the club before Joey could say anything else. The outside door slammed shut and he turned and leant on the bar, closing his eyes. This was the last thing he wanted. He didn't want commitment or responsibilities. He didn't want to be tied down. And he certainly didn't want a baby. He just wanted to live his life the way he wanted to live it. And now everything was well and truly fucked up. Even more than he thought was possible.

He picked up one of the bottles of vodka he was about to fit into the optics and threw it in a fury. It smashed against the wall, showering glass and alcohol everywhere. 'FUCK!' he yelled out angrily

**AN:**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews for the last chapter, I guess you liked the prologue of The Bad Boy! And you've all guessed by now Joey is the bad boy too! So this is the bit where I thank a very special friend and fellow writer 74CrazyChick! She has been a rock throughout this whole story persuading me to keep writing it, making suggestions how I can make it better. There was a time when I thought this story was never ever going to end. But finally it has! So thank you TB for ALL your help and support and encouragement and editing and so much more etc…**

**Chapter One**

26 year old Joey Branning was the head barman of the high profile East End nightclub R&amp;R in Walford. He was handsome, incredibly sexy, and he worked out…A lot. He had two methods of working out… several hours at the gym or working up a sweat with a girl. If he was honest, he preferred the second method. He had girls throwing themselves at him every single night and he was only too happy to catch them. And make use of them, getting from them exactly what he wanted.

After a restful Sunday he was itching for some action. Some female one on one action (if you know what I mean!)

He looked up from behind the bar, scanning the club for Lucy Beale. He was feeling a little frisky tonight, and it was already late. He didn't have the time to make small talk with any of the girls in the club, to flirt with them, to flatter them, to seduce them or to sweet talk them into taking him home with them or them into going home with him.

Lucy didn't need much persuading, she never did. He knew she fancied him and wanted a lot more from him, more than he was prepared to offer. And Joey used that fact to his advantage on a regular basis, if he was lucky he wouldn't even have to take her home, he could fuck her quickly up against the wall in the alley beside the club and avoid taking her back to his altogether. So all in all it would be a win/win situation as far as he was concerned.

'Joey, give us a hand will ya!' Ricky yelled out from the other end of the bar, pulling him out of his thoughts. Joey turned and headed over to him. The club was especially busy tonight, they were the only club in a 15 mile radius that was open tonight and the result of that was they were heaving. There was usually three of them behind the bar, but Rachel, their last member of the bar staff had fallen for Joey's charms and was pretty devastated their one night together was just one night. She had been thinking there was more to their relationship than that, in part due to Joey's endless flirting, and when she realised she had just been another notch on his bedpost she'd left, feeling humiliated and hurt. Joey had a bad boy reputation, one he was proud of if anyone asked him, and as a result Sharon was finding it hard to find a female member of bar staff to fill Rachel's shoes. And Sharon had been promising she'd find another member of staff ever since Rachel had quit three months ago. Joey made a mental note to mention it to Sharon again the next time he saw her. He glanced up from serving the latest influx of patrons and grinned when he saw Lucy come in with a couple of her friends. She searched the bar and her eyes met his and she beamed at him. Joey grinned back. Oh yes, he was definitely going to be fucking Lucy when the club closed in a few hours.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Lucy cried out in pain as Joey thrust inside her hard. She was pressed up against the wall face first, her skirt pulled up to her waist, her knickers pulled taught halfway down her calves. She really wasn't enjoying this as much as she'd hoped she would be. She thought Joey was going to take her back to his and they would spend a good few hours together, but Joey seemed to have other ideas. He wanted hard and fast and that was the way she was going to get it, whether she liked it or not. Not that Lucy would ever tell Joey she didn't like being fucked this way. She knew if she told him, it wouldn't happen again. He'd told her the first time they'd had sex he wasn't looking for a girlfriend. He wasn't the settling down type. He liked sex and he liked a lot of it and if she was interested in hooking up without any strings then he was more than happy to oblige. But it would be on his terms only. Lucy had to admit, as she felt her body react to his thrusting, he knew what he was doing and then some! She came every time they hooked up (mostly) and usually long before he did and if she was lucky sometimes more than once.

Lucy knew she would have finger shaped bruises on her hips after this was over and she had a feeling it would be over soon. She cried out loudly in pain as Joey thrust inside her harder than he'd been previously, Joey's hand clamped over her mouth, and he stilled instantly.

'Sssh!' he hissed at her loudly. 'Do you want people to come down here?' she shook her head, knowing there were still some people milling around outside the club, waiting for cabs. He let her mouth go and began to thrust again, picking up his relentless pace. Judging by the grunting coming from Joey he wasn't going to last much longer. His rhythm became fervent and a few moments later he groaned loudly, resting his head on her shoulder as he came hard and then stilled inside her. She groaned, she was so close to her own climax, which she now knew she would never reach. She felt Joey withdraw his length from her and she heard the snap of the condom as he pulled it off, followed by the sound of his zip. 'Thanks Luce. I needed that' he said breathlessly. 'You can find your own way home right?' she heard his footsteps as he walked out of the alleyway leaving her there, not even waiting for her to answer.

Lucy turned around and leant back against the wall, feeling used, frustrated and very sore. She bent down, pulled up her knickers and straightened her skirt with a sigh. A few moments later she walked out of the alleyway, tears stinging her eyes. She knew she shouldn't keep letting Joey do this to her, she knew she shouldn't keep setting herself up like this, but she couldn't help it, she liked him. A little too much.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey let himself into his flat, locking the door behind him, he stripped off his clothes in the bathroom, dumping them into the wash basket and set the shower going before stepping inside, just like he did every night or morning after he'd been with a girl, as if he was washing them off him. As if he was dirty after being with them.

Lucy was just what he needed tonight. He didn't feel guilty about the fact she didn't come, she'd had enough time to do so, in his opinion at least. If he was being honest she was too much of a prude for his liking. Didn't like to try anything different, he sometimes had to take what he wanted without asking her if she wanted it like that…and more frustratingly she was always trying to get him to kiss her. He was going to have to start making a concerted effort with other girls when they came into the club so he didn't have to rely on Lucy as often. Not that Lucy wasn't a good fuck, she got the job done; she just wasn't as adventurous as he'd hoped she would be. She was the only one he used on a regular basis when there was no one else around, or like tonight, when he was being lazy, but desperation rolled off her in waves. And Joey wasn't interested in anything serious, and if he was it sure as hell wouldn't be with Lucy bloody Beale.

After his quick shower, he towelled himself dry and walked through to his bedroom and climbed under the covers naked as the day he was born. He closed his eyes, falling almost straight away into a deep restful sleep.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

In another house a few doors down from Joey's, Lucy looked at her naked body in the full length mirror on the back of her bathroom door. She could already see the bruises forming on her hips. She had scuff marks on her knees where they had scraped against the wall as Joey took her roughly and carelessly.

She cleaned off her makeup, picked up her nightdress and pulled it over her head. She turned the light out and padded over to her bed and slid under the covers. Seconds later, the tears she'd been fighting against since he had left her in the alleyway, slowly rolled down her cheeks. She didn't understand why Joey didn't want her to be his girlfriend, they would hook up on a regular basis, she had never said no to him. She always made herself available to him, even if she wasn't. She would change her plans at the drop of a hat if he asked her to. She wiped her eyes and frowned, deciding from now on she wouldn't come running when he called her.

**AN: Well, isn't Joey the kind of man you want to meet? Isn't he a romantic, thoughtful, caring soul? Not! And I have to say it…poor Lucy. She just wants to be Joey's girlfriend is that too much to ask? Is Lucy going to be able to stick by her vow of not going running the next time Joey so much as smiles at her? Well I guess you'll have to read on to find out won't you! Don't forget to leave me a review **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two **

Ricky looked up as Joey came into the club ready to work his shift. 'Where's Sharon?' Ricky asked him 'I thought she was helping us out tonight' he frowned.

'Apparently she's hired a new member of bar staff' Joey told him as he shrugged out of his jacket and put it behind the bar. 'She should be here in the next half an hour' he glanced at the clock.

'She?' Ricky raised his eyebrows with interest.

'So Sharon said' Joey nodded his head

'Has she warned you off this one already then? Ricky asked his friend with a knowing grin.

'Have you checked the stock?' Joey frowned, changing the subject, letting Ricky know without verbalising it that Sharon had indeed spoken to Joey about not having sex with this new female member of the bar staff.

'Yeah, I brought up a couple bottles of vodka and tequila, restocked the beers' he said 'All of which you should have done this afternoon'

'I told you I had something on' Joey replied as he checked the tills.

'Oh yeah and what was her name?' Ricky shot back.

Joey looked up at him and grinned 'Sarah or Sasha…maybe Sophie' Joey frowned trying to recall then name of the girl he went home with the night before. 'Well her name began with "S" anyway' he shrugged with a grin.

'The blonde or the brunette?' Ricky asked trying to picture the girl in his head.

'The blonde' Joey replied 'You know I like blondes' he told him

'Blondes, redheads, brunettes' Ricky said causing them both to laugh. 'You aren't fussy, mate'

'What can I say, I have a high sex drive' Joey replied with a grin.

'The blonde was pretty hot though' Ricky said wistfully 'so come on then what was she like?'

'She was a real bunny in the sack' Joey grinned at him 'definitely worth a second outing' he licked his lips 'she's coming back in tonight, so I'll be taking off early. You'll be okay closing up?'

'Do I have a choice?' Ricky looked at him.

'Nope' Joey said shaking his head. 'Okay, it's time to open up' Joey said as he nodded to the bouncer.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey noticed the tall slim brunette the minute she walked into the club. She was wearing all black and had minimal make up on, not that she needed to wear a lot of make-up. She was gorgeous. She looked around and he wondered if she was meeting someone here tonight. She walked over to the bar and slid onto a stool. He exchanged glances with Ricky, and they both made a beeline for her. To Joey's annoyance Ricky beat him to her, turning and giving Joey a smug smile. Joey gave him the finger in return. He hovered at the other end of the bar watching with interest.

'Yes darling, what can I get you?' Ricky asked her

'I'm actually here looking for someone' she told him, her eyes scanned the club again with a frown. 'I'm a little late…'

'Yeah? Maybe I can help you out. Who are looking for?' Ricky asked her politely.

'Sharon Branning' the brunette replied.

'Oh, she's the boss around here, but she's taken the night off, her son is sick' he told her 'My name's Ricky by the way' he held out his hand to her. Joey smirked when the woman at the bar looked at his hand but made no effort to shake it.

'Is there a Joseph Branning around then please?' she asked him 'Sharon told me to ask for him if she wasn't here' Ricky sighed defeated and he nodded.

'Yeah, I'll just get him for you' he said, pausing slightly before moving off to the other end of the bar. 'Joey. She's asking for you, by name' Ricky told him as he walked over to him.

'Yeah? She is?' Joey asked in surprise. He racked his brains trying to remember if this was one of the many girls he'd slept with, but drew a blank.

'She asked for Sharon first' Ricky told him.

Joey walked over to the gorgeous brunette, giving her his best smile. 'I'm Joey Branning, what can I do for you?' he asked her, leaning casually on the bar.

'I should've started working here tonight' she told him 'I'm a bit late'

'A bit late?' he said with a frown 'We close in an hour' a hint of annoyance in his voice as he straightened up, realising she was the new member of bar staff Sharon had hired.

'I know and I'm sorry. I've only been in Walford for about 5 hours' she told him ' I told the taxi driver R&amp;R and he took me up to the West End' she explained to him 'I had a complete nightmare even trying to find a taxi to bring me back here'

'Oh, yeah. There is another club with the same name as this one' he said a little sympathetically 'I should tell Sharon her latest member of staff was late, and is unreliable'

'I really am sorry. My time keeping is usually so much better than this. I've just… had a really bad day, the removal van hasn't turned up, the key the estate agent gave me doesn't actually fit into the lock of my house...and I know you aren't interested in the day I've had and as far as you're concerned it's all just excuses…..' she added quickly, 'but I really need this job… I'll work double shifts. I'll cover sickness at short notice… I'll do all the crappy jobs…..just please don't tell Sharon I wasn't here on time. Please?' she pleaded with him. Joey just stared at her, his face giving nothing away. She sighed, why should anything go right for her today? She had enough money to last a month or two until she could find another job, maybe she'd see if they were hiring in the pub she'd seen or maybe at the restaurant on the corner. She sighed, resigned to the thought she'd lost her job before she even started it 'thanks, anyway' she said sliding off the stool, heading towards the door. Joey turned to head back to Ricky and then paused, he turned and watched her head up the stairs. He frowned suddenly taking pity on her and quickly darted around the bar and moved in front of her on the stairs. She gasped in surprise, taking a step down as he invaded her personal space.

'You know, it's easy to get lost if you don't know your way around' he said sympathetically. 'I tell you what. You stick around and help clean up after closing and I'll tell Sharon you were here all night' he told her. The smile that lit up the brunettes face stunned him momentarily.

'Really, you'd do that?' she asked him, the surprise evident in her voice, Joey nodded his head.

'Yes, really' he said to her. 'Look we'll start over okay?' he held out his hand to her 'Joey Branning, head barman' he told her.

Lauren looked at his hand, and smiled at him. 'I'm Lauren' she said 'Lauren Cross' she replied and she slid her hand into his, shaking his hand firmly, before letting it go. 'I really appreciate this, thank you' she told him. 'Show me where I can put these' she held up her coat and bag 'and I'll grab the crate and collect the empties' she said.

'Follow me' he smiled at her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Ricky thought Joey was interested in the brunette by the way he always made sure he was the one closest to her at all times. His musings were made certain when the group of girls from last night came in and Joey gave the stunning blonde he'd gone home with the night before a wide berth. Although it worked out in Ricky's favour as he managed to secure the blonde's name (which was Stephanie) as well as her phone number and he planned to call her in a the next few days.

***JB*B*JB*JB* **

After the club had shut, Joey told Ricky he could go, leaving him and Lauren alone. They started clearing up together. 'So you just moved to Walford?' Joey asked her.

'Yep, today' she nodded her head as she filled the glass washer. 'Just a shame none of my stuff did' she replied with a sigh 'and the Estate Agent is an incompetent arse' she frowned.

'So you can't get into your house?' he asked her.

'Nope' Lauren shook her head.

'So where are you staying tonight?' he glanced at her, wondering if he would get lucky if he invited her to spend the night at his place.

'The Estate Agent is paying for a B&amp;B…something called…..Kim's Palace? Wherever the Hell that is. Sounds pretty crappy though. They're liaising with the removal company too, as well as getting a locksmith out to change the locks' she explained to him.

'Are you moving onto the square?' he looked at her as she set the glass machine to wash.

'Yep, number 43' she said to him. 'It's right across the square'

'We'll be neighbours, sort off' he said 'I live at number 27' he told her.

'Yeah?' she looked at him in surprise as he nodded 'At least there'll be one friendly face around' she told him with a smile.

'I can walk you to the B&amp;B, it's on the way back to the Square' he offered 'and it is pretty crappy but if you're only going to be there for one night it shouldn't be too bad'

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey let himself into his flat and closed the door behind him, smiling at Lauren's obvious embarrassment that R&amp;R was a 15 minute walk away from the B&amp;B and a 20 minute walk from her new house.

Joey found himself thinking about Lauren as he lay in bed. He was very attracted to her, which shouldn't surprise him because she was a gorgeous girl. True, she was a brunette and he avoided brunettes whenever he could, usually opting for blondes, but maybe he just needed to change things up a little. And he was sure she was a step up from Lucy. He smiled to himself, he wondered how long it would take him to get her into bed. From what he'd seen and witnessed so far, she seemed to be a little shy but she could surprise him and be feisty. In fact he would be willing to bet she'd be feisty in bed. He bet she would be adventurous too, up for anything. That thought made him grin like a Cheshire cat. He couldn't wait to have to sex with her.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews for the last chapter. I hope this chapter has answered some of your questions about whether or not Lauren was going to be making an appearance in this story. Please don't forget to leave me a review for this chapter too **** If you can make it up to 17 reviews I may post another chapter tonight. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Three **

The residents of the square were all curious to see a removal van pull up outside number 43. They wondered who would be moving into the house which had been sitting empty for some time now. They wondered if it would be a new family or maybe a young couple. They wondered if they'd be friendly or keep to themselves. They wondered when they'd get to meet them. What they'd be like, if they'd like them.

When Lauren arrived, the removal men had emptied her things out on the road and were getting into the truck when she ran over to them, 'Hey!' she called out loudly! 'Hey!' she sprinted the last few yards but the van pulled away and drove off. 'You have to be fucking kidding me… seriously….' she frowned 'Thank you so much for your help! Morons!' she yelled out after the van. She looked at the house, and then at the newly cut keys in her hand the estate agent had couriered over to her at the B&amp;B. She walked down the short path and unlocked the door, pushing it open. Walking back to the pile of her things, she picked up a large box and carried it awkwardly towards the house, she took 3 steps and the bottom fell out of the box, spilling the contents with a loud crashing noise onto the concrete. 'Great' she muttered under her breath, she looked up at the sky 'Thank you! That was so great' she frowned, tossing the box to one side angrily.

'I hope it wasn't anything expensive or sentimental' she heard a deep male voice behind her. She spun round quickly to see a stout, dark haired man with deep brown eyes standing there, staring at her.

'I have no idea if it was expensive' she admitted to him 'it was a gift and as for sentimental value…I hated it.'

'Oh, well that's good then' he said with a soft laugh. 'Do you need a hand?' he asked her.

'I do' she nodded her head 'The stupid removal drivers just unloaded and left' she said with a sigh 'I'm Lauren…' she smiled at him.

'Derek' he said 'I live at number 23 with my daughter Alice' he said with a smile,

'Nice to meet you Derek' Lauren smiled at him.

'Give me fifteen minutes and I'll rustle up some more help' he told her.

'Oh really, that would be great, thank you' she gave a relieved smile, so far the people she'd met here had been really friendly and went out of their way to help her. She had a feeling she was going to like it here, a lot.

As promised, 15 minutes later, Derek returned with 3 more men. 'Lauren, this is my brother Jack' Derek introduced them 'and Tyler and Anthony Moon, all here to help' he smiled at her,

'Thank you for offering to help me out. I really appreciate this' she told them all as she shook their hands.

'No problem, we're happy to help' Tyler smiled at her. 'Where do you want us to start?'

***JB*JB*JB*JB**

Joey walked into the Vic at lunchtime, surprised to find his dad, Uncle Jack, Tyler and Ant all sitting with Lauren. He brought a pint and made his way over to the table.

'Ah and here's my son, Joey' Derek said as he saw him approaching them.

'We've already met, I worked my first shift at R&amp;R last night' she explained to him.

'Mind if I join you?' Joey said, his eyes not leaving Lauren. Derek frowned, recognising the look on his son's face.

'Pull up a chair, Joey' Jack said with a smile.

'Lauren's just brought us all a drink for helping her move in' Tyler explained to him.

'I didn't know you needed help moving in, you didn't say anything about it last night' Joey said to her 'I would have offered to help out'

'Yeah, well, I didn't know I'd need help last night, the helpful removal men unpacked all my stuff and left it outside the house on the street. Your dad happened to be coming by and he offered to help' Lauren looked up at him briefly, 'and rounded these guys up too'

'Got the job done in no time' Jack said looking at Lauren with a smile.

'Just leaves me with the unpacking to do' Lauren said.

'Well you've got one box less to unpack' Derek reminded her with a friendly smile and wink.

'That's true' she nodded her head with a grin. 'Although I'm not sure everyone is going to be pleased it got smashed. It was a gift from my mother' she admitted to him. 'Excuse me' she said as she slid out of her seat 'Um… where is the ladies room?'

'Just round the corner to the left' Ant said to her.

'Thank you' she smiled at him.

Derek looked at Joey as he in turn watched Lauren walk away. 'Joseph' Derek said in a low quiet voice. Joey turned his head towards him 'Do not do what I think you're thinking about doing' he warned him.

'What?' he asked innocently as he took a mouthful of beer.

'We'll talk about this later' Derek told him with a frown. Joey rolled his eyes.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren returned as Derek went to the bar to get some more drinks, 'same again Lauren?' he asked her as she walked past. She glanced at her watch 'one more won't hurt will it?' he smiled at her.

'No I guess not' she said with a smile 'go on then. Do you want a hand?' she asked him.

'No, you go and sit down I'll bring them over' he told her.

She slid into the seat Derek had vacated, finding herself sitting next to Joey.

'Hey' he said softly 'Are you working tonight?'

'Yep' she nodded her head. 'Every night this week I think and Sharon wants me to help with a stocktake too' she told him 'I have to fit in unpacking and sorting everything out too'

'If you want a hand…' he left the offer hanging.

'You may regret making that offer' she told him with a grin 'I have a few jobs I need doing as it goes'

'I'd be happy to help' he replied

'Know anything about hanging curtain rails and pictures?' she asked him 'other round the home DIY?'

'I know a bit' he nodded.

She glanced at her watch again 'are you free this afternoon?'

Joey nodded 'I'm yours' he replied, giving her his 100 megawatt smile, she smiled back at him.

Derek returned to the table and put the drinks down in front of them. Lauren's mobile rang and she reached into her bag, pulling it out she looked at the caller id.

'Aren't you going to answer that darling?' Derek asked her softly. Joey's attention now on Jack, Lauren looked at Derek and he thought he saw a hint of anxiety in her eyes, but it was only for a brief moment, so he couldn't be sure.

'I'll let it go to voice mail' she replied, 'call them back later' a few seconds later the phone stopped ringing.

'So you're working at the club?' Derek asked her.

'Yep' she nodded her head 'I've done bar work before, I'm not really a morning person so the late nights suit me'

'Have you got any brothers or sisters?'

'Nope' she shook her head 'only child'

'I bet you were spoilt as a child then?'

'No, not really, mum had me when she was 18, she was a single mother, worked all the hours she could to buy everything I'd need, everything I wanted' she told him 'it was just me and mum' she shrugged.

'Well she did a pretty good job of raising you' Derek told her with a smile.

'Thank you, not sure mum would always have agreed with you though' Lauren blushed slightly. 'It wasn't always easy. Me and mum used to have huge fights, proper screaming matches… we'd say some terrible things to each other, but half an hour later it was as though nothing had happened and we were best friends again'

'So what brings you to Walford?' he asked her.

'Change of scene, fresh start' Lauren said with a shrug.

'How old are you if you don't mind me asking?'

'24' she replied.

'A couple of years older than Alice, my daughter' he said 'you'll have to come round for dinner one night, meet her, I think you two could be good friends'

'I could use a few friends around here' Lauren nodded and smiled 'thank you, that's really nice of you'

'How about Thursday at 5:00pm?' he asked her.

'Thursday sounds good to me' Lauren nodded.

'Good it's settled then.' Derek smile at her, 'Is there anything you don't like?'

'Fish… I can't stand the stuff' she grimaced as she thought about the food and the smell it gave off when it was cooking.

'No fish then' Derek took a sip of his pint and Joey accidentally on purpose jolted Lauren as he shifted in his chair, she turned her attention back to him, much to Derek's concern.

'I was just telling Uncle Jack how you managed to break up a fight in the club last night without any help from me or Ricky' Joey said to her. 'You should have seen her Uncle Jack she was amazing'

'A girl of many talents hey?' Jack smiled at her.

'You have no idea' Lauren replied.

**AN: Thank you for your reviews for the last chapter. So…Lauren's met a few of the residents on the square. And Derek seems to have taken her under his wing, deciding she can be friends with his daughter Alice. Derek also seems to know about his son's reputation with the opposite sex and appears to be concerned he has Lauren in his sights…what do you think? Back tomorrow.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Four**

Joey knocked on the door of number 43, having stopped off at his flat to get his tool box. Lauren opened the door. 'Great. You're here' she grinned at him 'I was wondering if you were going to flake on me' she told him, letting him into the house, 'I have so many things I need doing' she led him into the lounge and he looked around the room at the boxes and the few items of furniture she had.

'You haven't unpacked much'

'I've been unpacking the bedroom and kitchen first' she told him 'so, can you fix these curtain rods up over the windows for me?' she asked him, showing him the rods propped against the wall. 'And then I need some pictures put up on the walls' she said 'I also need rods put in the rooms upstairs….' she said.

'Okay. I'll get started then' he told her with a smile.

'Great, do you need me down here?' she asked him.

'I'll be fine' he told her with a smile.

'I can carry on unpacking upstairs then' she smiled back at him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren was busy unpacking the rest of her things in the upstairs bedroom. She didn't hear Joey come up the stairs, didn't see him watching her from the doorway. She was staring at something in her hand, Joey couldn't see what it was but she was visibly upset. She sniffed and dropped the item back into a shoe box and dropped to her knees and a few seconds later he heard the sound of a floorboard being moved back into place. She sniffed again and then stood up.

'So I'm done downstairs' Joey said taking a few steps into the room, his attention on the window, pretending he hadn't been standing there watching her.

'Really?' Lauren said 'that was quick' she told him with a smile pushing her emotions quickly back under the surface. That surprised Joey, if he hadn't seen her upset he never would've been able to tell now.

'I'm just a fast worker' he told her as a flicker of worry crossed her face 'it's not shoddy workmanship, I promise' he reassured her quickly.

'Well, I hope that means nothing is going to fall down' she told him with a smile 'do you want a coffee?' she asked him.

'Sure' he nodded his head 'but only if you're having one too' he told her.

Five minutes later she reappeared with two coffees and she handed one to Joey. 'Thanks' he said, she sat down on the bed as he looked around for somewhere to sit, she patted the bed. He swallowed.

'Relax… I don't bite' she told him as he sat beside her 'well not unless you ask me nicely, then I might' she added with a giggle.

Joey blinked at her and then laughed 'You know I can't figure you out' he told her.

'What do you mean?' she frowned as she blew on her coffee.

'Well last night, you had swarms of guys flirting with you and you didn't give any of them the time of day, and now, here you are flirting with me'

'I made you a coffee, that's hardly flirting' she told him.

'I meant what you just said' he looked at her.

'I wasn't flirting' Lauren shook her head, a confused frown on her face.

'No?' he raised his eyebrows at her in surprise.

'No' she shook her head 'It was an ice breaker, you looked uncomfortable' she replied seriously. Joey took a sip of coffee, even more confused. She was a tough girl to figure out, just when he thought he had, she'd do or say something to make him realise he didn't have a clue about her.

He sighed 'So, what made you move to Albert Square?' he asked her 'Do you know anyone around here?' he changed the subject.

'Well I know you, Derek, Jack, Tyler, Ricky and Ant' she said 'and I met Sharon a few days ago when I came for an interview' she said to him. 'As for moving to Albert Square… why not?' she asked him.

'You don't give much away do you?' he asked her.

'Neither do you' she replied 'Derek's your dad, and Jack is your uncle and you have a younger sister called Alice' she said looking at him expectantly. 'You didn't mention any of that last night'

'Yeah, there are a few of us around' he nodded his head with a sheepish grin. 'Uncle Jack is dad's brother, his wife is Sharon, who owns the club, lives at 47a' he said 'there's another one of my uncles living at number 5, Uncle Max; he owns the car lot. Then there's Auntie Carol who lives at number 31, with my cousin Bianca and all her kids' he told her 'And dad lives at number 23 with my little sister Alice'

'Wow! That's a lot of Brannings all in one place, your family practically run the whole place' she said to him 'I thought Sharon was your mum or something' she told him.

'No' Joey shook his head 'My mum isn't around. She's gone' he told her.

'Joey, I'm sorry…' she put her hand on his knee gently, 'I didn't know' she said softly.

'Oh, she's not dead' Joey said quickly, realising what Lauren thought. 'She's just not around, she left when I was 9' he told her.

'Sorry' she said again, moving her hand off his knee. 'You and Alice stayed with your dad?' she frowned.

'We didn't have much of a choice, we woke up one morning and she was gone, haven't heard from her since, not that I would have gone with her if she'd asked' he said frowning. 'I don't really like talking about it' he told her.

'I didn't know my dad' Lauren said 'Mum got pregnant with me when she was 18, some guy she met at a party in Camden. She never saw him again to be able to tell him she was pregnant or that he had a daughter. She didn't even know his name' Lauren told him softly. 'Her parents were furious with her, especially when she said she was going to keep me. They disowned her and she moved out. She hasn't seen any of her family since. Mum is the only family I have' she said with a shrug. 'She got married once, only lasted 18 months though' she told him.

'She did a pretty good job of raising you by herself' he said to her, she looked up at him.

'You're dad said that too but yeah, she did. Things were tough' she nodded her head 'but we got through them' she smiled at him 'Looks like Derek didn't do too bad a job with you either'

'He wouldn't agree with you there' Joey said with a laugh.

Lauren frowned at him 'what do you mean?' she asked him.

'I'm sure he wishes I would settle down with a nice girl, get married, have kids' he said 'But I'm not interested in any of that' he told her.

'Yeah well, marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be' Lauren replied quietly and she stood up 'you'd better get back to work' she told him 'there's a lot to do up here' she told him.

'You're a slave driver' he smiled, taking a sip of his coffee.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying The Bad Boy. Joey jumped at the chance of helping Lauren with some home DIY, it's not because he had an ulterior motive or anything though right? So if anyone wants another chapter tonight you know what to do…in the next chapter things get interesting…. Please leave me a review. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter five **

Later that night Lauren was working behind the bar with Ricky and Joey. Both young men spent most of the night watching her. Lucy came into the club with a couple of her friends and she made a beeline for Joey. Joey made a point of flirting with her every time Lauren went near him, but she didn't seem to be too bothered about it.

As the nights passed they saw Lauren didn't even flirt with any of the guys who came into the club. Sharon had called Lauren into the office one afternoon and when she came out, Joey thought she looked a little bit upset. She'd finished bottling up in silence. She went home after she'd finished calling a quiet "see you tonight" to him. He frowned wondering what Sharon had said to Lauren, she came out of her office a few minutes later

'Are you nearly done, Joey?' she asked him

'Yeah was just about to leave… Listen I know this is probably none of my business, but what did you say to Lauren, she didn't say a word since coming out of your office' he told her. 'She seemed to be a little bit upset'

Sharon looked surprised 'really?' she asked him 'I just said she needed to flirt a little with the punters, dress a little bit sexier' she said to him 'I'll go over and see her, I didn't mean to upset her' she said shaking her head.

Joey nodded as Sharon left, wondering why Lauren got upset over her request. There was definitely more to Lauren than met the eye. He wanted to know more about her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey had been summoned over to his dad's place before he started his shift at R&amp;R, he headed over there and let himself in. He could hear laughing coming from the lounge, he peered around the door and saw Lauren on the sofa with Alice going through family pictures. Lauren looked happier than she did when she left the club. He looked up and saw Derek in the chair smiling.

'Hey dad' Joey said.

'Joey?' he said looking up at him 'Right on time' he smiled at his son.

'You know I have good time keeping' he replied 'I didn't realise you had company' he glanced at Lauren again.

'It's okay we can go and talk in the kitchen, you two girls will be okay here?' he looked at Alice and Lauren.

'Yep' Lauren said looking up, noticing Joey for the first time. 'Alice is showing me naked baby pictures of you' she told him with a grin.

'A lot has changed since they were taken' he told her with a wink. She blinked at him and her cheeks reddened, she looked away quickly, Joey frowned at her reaction, but followed his dad out of the room.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey and Lauren walked towards the club after Joey had finished speaking with his dad. Alice and Lauren had made plans for the following day, much to Derek's delight. He knew the two girls would get on like a house on fire, he invited Lauren to dinner again the following Thursday night, and to his surprise, when he invited Joey over, instead of saying no like he always did, he said yes, although part of him knew it was because Lauren was going to be there. He made up his mind to keep a close eye on the situation and make sure Joey didn't get up to his usual tricks with her.

'So what did your dad want?' Lauren asked him 'the little chat?' she snuck a glance at him 'Sorry that was nosey' she said to him with a blush 'I don't know why I asked you that, it's none of my business.'

'It's okay. He was warning me off you' he told her honestly.

Lauren blinked in surprise 'Warning you off me?' she asked him.

Joey nodded his head 'According to dad I have an unsavoury reputation of a "love 'em and leave 'em" type' he told her.

'And he thought you were interested in me?' she looked at him incredulously 'so he warned you off me? That's kind of weird, don't you think?'

'He's picked you out as a friend for Alice' Joey explained.

'What Alice can't choose her own friends?' Lauren frowned feeling her anger rising, Joey could see she was beginning to think Derek was a bit creepy. She stopped walking and Joey turned to look at her, stopping too.

'She has had a few friends….then I've kind of slept with them and then I blanked them and they didn't want to be friends with Alice afterwards' he told her, Lauren blinked at him.

'Why?' she asked him stopping walking so she could look at them.

Joey shrugged, 'I'm not the commitment type, all I want is a little fun, no strings' he said 'Some girls can't handle that and they didn't want to be around Alice anymore' he shrugged.

Lauren nodded her head in understanding 'oh you're one of _**those**_ guys' she said 'You know if a girl does what you do, she'd be called a slut or a whore' she said and she started to walk again, not bothering to wait for Joey.

'What can I say? I like sex' he told her 'and if it makes me a whore then a man whore is what I am' he said falling back into step with her.

'Personally I don't see what all the fuss is about' she said to him.

'About me being a man whore?' he asked her 'me either' he said, making her laugh.

'No, I didn't meant that,but I can see why your dad is making a fuss about that, especially if you keep running off Alice's friends. I meant I don't see what all the fuss is about sex' she told him as she opened the door to the club. Joey blinked at her surprised.

'You don't like sex?' he asked her, his curiosity about her piqued again.

'It's nothing to write home about' she said with a shrug.

'Maybe you're not having sex with the right person, I mean if you don't enjoy it. Maybe they don't know what they're doing?' he suggested.

Lauren turned to look at him 'Oh and I suppose you do?' she asked him 'Self-confessed sex God?'

'I've had no complaints' he said cockily ' and despite my father attempting to warn me off you, I'd be more than happy to show you what you're missing out on' he told her with a smile and a wink. 'I guarantee you one night with me and you will love sex' he told her confidently.

'And I guarantee you one night with me and you'd never want to have sex again' she told him softly, she turned and walked down the steps leaving Joey very confused by her last comment.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

As the night went on Joey watched as Lauren attempted to flirt with customers. At her break she went into the back and made some coffee and she lay down on the couch, her arms over her eyes.

'Are you okay?' Ricky asked her from the doorway as he came in.

'I've had better nights' she told him with a frown as she sat up.

'Do you want to talk about it?' he asked her as he poured himself a coffee. She shifted on the couch and he sat down.

'You know Sharon talked to me this afternoon, told me I needed to dress up a bit more, flirt with the customers' she told him. 'I don't see why I have to dress up, you and Joey wear white shirts and black pants…' she frowned at him as she looked at his clothes.

'Tight white shirts and tight black pants' Ricky corrected her 'and we flirt with the punters'

'I suck at flirting' Lauren said to him with a frown 'I don't know what to say or do…' she said.

'Why don't you come work with me after the break, just watch how I do it' he suggested.

'Do you mind?' she asked him.

'No of course not, we'll have you flirting with the rest of us in no time' he told her with a smile 'and as for your clothes, you could wear some leggings, some low cut tops…' he said, she looked down at herself 'you're a very sexy girl, Lauren' he told her softly 'and you have a great figure, you shouldn't hide it away, you should show it off' he said. She blushed, looking down 'and you should also learn how to take a compliment' he smiled at her.

'It's been a while since I had any' she admitted to him.

'Seriously? Where have you been living? Under a rock?' he sounded surprised.

'Yeah, something like that' she said, a hint of sadness in her voice. 'Moving here is a fresh start so…..' she licked her lips and took a sip of coffee. 'Thanks Ricky' she said with a smile.

'You're welcome' he smiled at her 'Listen….Joey is my best mate and all but if I were you I would stay away from him, he's …..'

'A man whore?' Lauren asked him and she nodded her head 'Yeah I know. He told me and thank you for the warning, but you don't need to worry, Joey and I are just friends, and that's all we'll ever be' she said getting up and tipping the remains of her coffee down the sink, she left the room leaving Ricky staring after her in surprise.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

After the club closed, Joey poured Lauren a glass of wine, grabbed a beer for both him and Ricky and they carried their tip jars to a table. Lauren tipped her £1.00 out onto the table with frustrated sigh. 'You know it's a good thing we actually get paid and I don't have to rely on the tips to live' she told them both, 'because I would probably be dead in a week' she picked up her glass of wine and drank in down in one.

'You just need to work on your flirting' Ricky said 'you were really bad at it earlier'

'Yeah I know' she sighed and she got up, ducking behind the bar to put her glass in the washer. Her mobile rang and she pulled it out and looked at it. She rejected the call and pushed her phone back into her pocket with a sigh 'Okay guy's I'm going to call it a night. I'll see you tomorrow' she told them and she disappeared into the back to get her coat and bag.

'I'll walk you home' Joey said to her standing up, leaving his beer on the bar.

'It's okay finish your beer. I know the way home, besides, I just want to be by myself' she told him.

'Okay' Joey said a little disappointed.

'Night' she smiled as she walked out.

Joey looked at Ricky 'She's out of your league man' Ricky told him.

'No she isn't' Joey scoffed, shaking his head 'I bet I can get her into bed'

'She's not interested in you' Ricky said assuredly, thinking back to his earlier conversation with her, taking a drink of beer as Joey sat down again.

'You think she's interested in you?' Joey raised his eyebrows in surprise.

'We shared a moment earlier' Ricky told him with a grin.

'Oh…oh, you shared a moment' Joey laughed 'all right, all right, I'll bite. I bet you £200 I can fuck her before you do' he told Ricky.

Ricky nodded his head 'I'll take that bet. You are so going to lose buddy' he grinned at him. The two men shook hands.

**AN: So it looks as though Lauren has already got Joey down to a tee and figured out he's a man whore! And if you thought Joey couldn't sink any lower it turns out he and his best friend Ricky have regular bets about who can sleep with girls first, and they've made a wager. A £200 wager about who can sleep with Lauren first! So not only does Joey have even more incentive now but Ricky also has incentive to try and win the bet too. Poor Lauren…she has two sex hungry men with rather unsavoury reputations after her. I have a feeling this isn't going to end well. What do you think? Back tomorrow. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Six **

A week passed and Joey was walking through the square at 6:00am. He bumped into Lauren 'Are you doing the walk of shame?' she asked him teasingly.

'Walk of shame?' he asked with a confused frown.

'I'm assuming you went home with the cute blonde you were flirting with at the club last night? she said to him 'And after ducking out before she's woken up, you return home in the same clothes you were wearing last night' she told him 'hence the term "walk of shame"' she told him.

'Okay you got me' he said with a smile 'what are you doing up so early?' he asked her

'I've been awake for hours' she told him 'I couldn't sleep'

'Something you want to talk about?' he asked her as they fell into step beside each other.

'Not really' she said shaking her head.

'Okay then…. How about breakfast?' he asked her 'my shout'

'I could eat' she nodded her head. Joey smiled as they reached his flat, he unlocked the door and stepped aside to let her in. She hesitated.

'Don't worry, I don't bite' he smiled at her repeating her words to him. Lauren blinked and then laughed, shaking her head as she stepped inside. 'Make yourself at home while I grab a quick shower' he told her.

'Thanks' she said.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

After his shower, Joey pulled on a pair of sweatpants; that hung low on his waist. He decided to leave his shirt off to see if he could elicit some kind of reaction from Lauren. He walked through the lounge to the kitchen, whistling to himself. 'Do you like eggs?' he called out.

'Yes' she said softly from the doorway to the kitchen. He was disappointed she didn't even react to the fact he was shirtless 'I'd offer to help but I don't really know how to cook' she admitted.

He turned to look at her 'You don't? So what have you been eating?'

'I make a mean salad' she shrugged. 'And I like cereal' she told him.

'Okay, come here, this is your first cooking lesson' he said gesturing her over with his hand. She walked over to him 'take your coat off' he instructed. Once her coat was off he took it from her and draped it over a chair. 'Next we need to roll your sleeves up' he told her, he took her hand and he unbuttoned her cuffs and rolled the sleeves up slowly, his fingers grazing her skin gently every now and then. Lauren swallowed, her eyes fixed on his hands. He did the same to the other arm and she raised her eyes to look into his, uncertain as to the feelings that were currently sweeping through her. 'Right, the next thing you need to do is wash your hands, with soap' he told her. She nodded, walked to the sink and washed her hands.

'All clean' she said and she held them out for him to inspect like a child would to its mother, turning them over too. 'See'

'Good girl.' He grinned at her, 'Okay, so the first thing you need to do is to break the eggs into the bowl' he instructed her 'be careful though, because you don't want to get any egg shell into the mix' he told her.

Lauren picked up the first of the eggs 'how many?' she asked him.

'Four' he said 'You didn't learn how to cook with your mum?' he asked casually.

'No, not really, I moved out when I was 16' she told him 'moved in with someone who was happy to do all the cooking so I never needed to learn' she said with a shrug.

Joey watched her as she broke the eggs. 'Perfect' he said and she smiled at him proudly 'right, now we need to add some seasoning' he said and he reached for the salt and pepper 'just a little, you can always add more later if needed' he said softly. Lauren added the seasoning 'now you need to beat it' he told her. She picked up the fork he'd placed beside the bowl and she started to stir it. 'Harder than that' he said 'watch' he took the fork and bowl from her and he showed her how to beat the eggs for a few seconds and handed it back to her while he got the frying pan ready.

'Do you always cook shirtless?' she asked him. Joey grinned to himself as he put some bread in the toaster and then looked at Lauren.

'Nope. Usually I don't wear anything but I figured you'd be a little uncomfortable if I walked around here naked' he told her. Lauren's eyes met his and she could see them sparkling with amusement, but she wasn't sure if he was being serious or not. He glanced at the eggs 'okay that's done, now you add it to the frying pan and you keep stirring it from side to side' he told her. She nodded and followed his instructions.

'It's gone funny' she frowned wrinkling her nose a few minutes later, 'all sort of congealed…' Joey stopped sorting out the coffee and walked over to her.

'Its fine, it supposed to look like that' he smiled, shaking his head 'you really don't know how to cook do you?'

She blushed shaking her head 'I really don't' she admitted to him.

'Keep doing what you are doing, it'll be ready when the toaster pops up' he said.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Lauren and Joey were eating their breakfast together, 'this is really good' Joey said to her.

She beamed at him 'Really, you're not just saying that?' she asked him, he shook his head.

'No. You can make me breakfast anytime, babe' he smirked at her.

She blushed slightly 'maybe you should give it a couple of hours before you say that. You may have food poisoning' she told him. Joey rolled his eyes as she gathered up the plates and carried them through to the kitchen, she started to wash up the dishes.

Joey smiled 'You don't have to do that' he said to her.

'I want to' she insisted.

'Okay then I'll dry' he said picking up the tea towel. 'So what are your plans for today?' he asked her.

'Nothing' she said shaking her head. 'I was planning on having a lazy day'

'Me too' he smiled at her 'we could have a lazy day together?' he suggested.

'I don't want to get in your way' she told him.

'I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't want to spend time with you' he told her honestly. 'Plus we can use the time to work on your flirting' he suggested.

She mulled the idea over in her head for a while and she nodded her head 'Okay, I have one condition though' she told him

'What's that?' he asked intrigued.

'You let me buy you lunch?' she asked him.

'You have a deal' he nodded.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey returned to lounge after putting a shirt on and the two of them were sitting on the sofa talking. 'So what was last night's conquests name?' Lauren asked him.

'Um… Dani I think' he said 'Or Dana…I…actually I don't know' he admitted sheepishly.

'That's really nice, Joey' she rolled her eyes at him 'very classy' she shook her head. 'No wonder your dad is worried about you…he's probably concerned you are going to get an STD' she teased him.

'Hey. I'm not stupid, I'm careful' he told her.

'Glad to hear it. Having an STD is not all fun and games you know' she replied 'Can I ask you something?' she asked him, looking at him curiously, not waiting for an answer 'why do you act like this? A different girl every night? I mean it sounds to me like you have commitment issues' she said.

Joey looked at her 'Well if you'd witnessed first-hand your parent's marriage falling apart you'd have commitment issues too' he told her.

'What happened?' Lauren asked him. 'With your parents?'

'My mother couldn't keep her knickers on around other men' Joey told her with a frown. 'She had affair after affair and left pretty much overnight. She broke my dad's heart. It took him years to get over her. He used to be a strong man, well respected, and then seemingly overnight he became withdrawn, weak, pathetic and he let people walk all over him. So I swore I would never let a woman do the same to me' he told her firmly.

'And you decided this at 9 years old?' she asked him surprised. 'Before you even had a serious relationship of your own with a girl?'

'Yep' Joey nodded his head.

'Not every woman is going to be like your mum' Lauren said softly 'and maybe there were other reasons why your parent's marriage didn't work out'

'My father worshipped the ground she walked on, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her; that he didn't do for her!' Joey looked at her angrily 'why are you defending her. You didn't even know her'

'I'm not defending her, I'm just saying that not everything is black and white, Joey. There could have been things that were going on in your parent's marriage you knew nothing about, that your dad hasn't told you. What seems to everyone else on the outside to be a happy marriage could actually be a living nightmare on the inside' she told him quietly.

Joey got up and walked into the kitchen, he grabbed her coat from the back of the chair, returning to the lounge he held it out to her, 'You know nothing about my parent's marriage and you know nothing about me' he frowned at her 'I think you should go' he told her.

Lauren swallowed and she stood up, taking her coat from him. 'I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you' she said quietly.

'I asked you to leave' he said coldly.

Lauren nodded her head and pulled on her coat, she turned back to look at him over her shoulder before she left, but he wouldn't meet her gaze. 'I'm sorry' she said softly, closing the door behind her.

**AN: WOW….107 reviews already! I'm guessing you're liking The Bad Boy! Well Lauren's caught Joey doing the "walk of shame" and he's given her a cooing lesson, shirtless of course…in no way trying to see if Lauren's eyes wandered to places she wouldn't normally see. Joey's opened up about his parent's marriage a little, which explains why he is the way he is…and then he's suddenly flipped out at her and got angry! Wonder what that's about? Poor Lauren…at this rate he's never going to win the bet! I may be persuaded to post another chapter tonight….. you know what to do! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter seven **

That night at work Joey ignored Lauren completely. Ricky noticed the atmosphere between the two, and knowing Joey's M.O, feared Joey had already won the bet they'd made. This was how they'd lost a couple of the other female bar staff they'd had before. Joey had befriended them, screwed them and then treated them like they were something he'd stepped in, and they, in turn, handed in their notice. Ricky hoped this meant Lauren wasn't going to leave, he liked her; she was a lot of fun to be around.

As Ricky watched her work he noticed she seemed distracted, she was messing up orders and short changing people. He knew he needed to tell Joey about it as he was the head barman and therefore ultimately responsible, but he didn't want to cause any more tension between the two of them. Joey glanced at Ricky and saw he was watching Lauren with a concerned look on his face. Joey frowned and he turned to look at her and saw a male customer grab her wrist and yank her back towards the bar. He frowned and went over to them quickly.

'Is there a problem here?' he asked the dark haired male.

'This stupid dumb bitch just short changed me' he glared at Lauren, tugging on her arm again. Joey glanced at Lauren and saw she was frozen to the spot, her eyes glassy. He frowned, usually she could deal with customers who were a lot bigger and meaner looking than this guy and he wondered why this one was different.

'Let her go' Joey said to him firmly, when the man didn't do as he asked Joey reached underneath the bar and pulled out a short metal pole 'I said let her go' he growled menacingly at him.

The man swallowed, wisely choosing to let Lauren go. She fled to the staffroom and Joey gestured for the bouncer to come over to them 'Steve, this arsehole is just leaving' he told him when he reached them 'help him on his way' he told him. Joey watched the bouncer escort him outside and nodded when Steve returned. 'Ricky, cover the bar' he called out and went to find Lauren. He found her close to tears in the staff room, rubbing her wrist 'Hey, are you okay? Did he hurt you?' he asked her in concern.

'No, he didn't hurt me, I'm fine' she told him softly. She sat down on the sofa and Joey looked at her.

'You don't look fine' he said with a frown, knowing there was more she wasn't telling him.

'Look, I'm not feeling so good, I have a headache' she said 'I'm going to go home' she told him, she stood up, crossing over to her locker and pulling out her things. Joey watched as she pulled on her jacket and fished for her keys in her bag, her hands were shaking. For some reason he didn't want her to walk home on her own, he suddenly felt very protective of Lauren. His feelings surprised him, as did the next words he spoke.

'I'll walk you home, Ricky will be okay on his own for a while' he told her 'that guy might still be out there' he added as an explanation.

Lauren looked up at him, her eyes were wide, frightened. She clearly hadn't considered that possibility. 'Okay' she said quietly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey walked her right to her doorstep. She tried to unlock the door but her hands were shaking too badly, Joey's concern grew, she seemed pretty shaken up by what had happened at the club.

'Maybe I should come in for a while?' he asked her softly.

'I'm fine, Joey' she told him. She managed to get the keys in the door, unlocking it she pushed the door open and stepped inside. 'Thank you for walking me home. I'll see you tomorrow' she told him before closing the door in his face.

Joey wondered what had made Lauren react like that. She'd broken up fights in the club between bigger and tougher looking men than the one who'd grabbed her tonight. He knew she was more than capable of handling herself. So it left him more than a little confused as to why she'd had a meltdown.

He frowned as he walked back into the club. He didn't know why he was so concerned about Lauren. He never worried about girls, except for his sister. He shivered suddenly, he fancied her, he knew that much, but what confused him was the feelings of anger when the guy grabbed her in the club, the feeling of needing to protect her, of wanting to protect her. He frowned not liking where these feelings could be leading.

He needed a distraction. He saw an attractive blonde in the line of the club and he smiled to himself. Looks like he'd found one.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey groaned loudly as the blonde sucked on his cock. Her technique was good, but she was mainly concentrating on the head of his cock and he felt she could take him deeper into her throat. His fingers tangled in her hair tightly and he pulled her head towards him, feeling himself slip deeper into her mouth. She made a gagging noise but he didn't loosen his grip. His mind wandered as she gave him head. A certain brunette's face filled his vision and he groaned again, pretending it was her who was deep throating him. Without warning; Joey came, almost violently. The blonde choked slightly and struggled against him, but he didn't let her go until she had drunk down his hot seed. She pulled away from him, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, her eyes sparkled with tears at Joey's rough treatment of her. Joey looked down at her, losing interest in fucking her. He got up and picked up her clothes, tossing them to her. She looked at him surprised, feeling somewhat grateful he was apparently telling her to leave. She'd thought Joey was going to be a nice guy, but after the blow job she knew she was wrong.

She scrambled to her feet, dressed quickly and fled. She had a feeling that she'd had a lucky escape.

Joey frowned, puzzled as to why he had suddenly thought about Lauren, especially since the blonde was supposed to be a distraction. He walked through to the shower and turned it on, stepping under the steaming water, letting it run over his body. He washed himself thoroughly, scrubbing his skin almost to the point of bleeding. His hand closed around his cock and he thought about Lauren again, he started stroked himself firmly and a few moments later he came hard, crying out with the strength of his orgasm. He took a few deep calming breaths and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. He shut the shower off and walked to the window in the lounge and looked out. He could see a light on at Lauren's and he stared at it for a couple of minute, thinking over what had happened since he'd turned up for work tonight.

Fifteen minutes later he found himself standing on her doorstep, a bottle of wine in his hand and he knocked on the door.

'Who is it?' he heard her call out

'Joey' he replied. There was a pause before there was the sound of locks being undone, followed by the door opening and Lauren peered out. 'I know it's late' he told her 'I saw your light on and I wanted to check you were okay' he said 'I brought wine' he held the bottle up to show her.

'You'd better come in then' she said softly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren fetched some glasses from the kitchen and she put them on the coffee table whilst Joey opened the bottle of wine. He poured them both a generous glassful.

'I wanted to apologise for snapping at you earlier today' he told her 'I don't know why I lost my temper with you like that'

'It's my fault. I shouldn't have said anything, it's none of my business' she told him 'and you were right I don't know anything about your parent's marriage and I don't know you and I had no right to make assumptions' she told him, taking a glass from him. She sat down on the sofa and pulled her feet up under her.

'You seemed pretty shaken up by what happened at the club' he told her.

'I was taken by surprise, that's all, I wasn't expecting him to reach across the bar and grab me like that' she told him 'I'd been messing up all night' she frowned 'the tills probably don't balance, I think I was short changing people' she said to him. 'Ricky helped me out a few times but…' she shrugged.

Joey took a sip of wine and looked at Lauren, she seemed to be distracted. 'You know, I'm a good listener' he told her softly, she glanced up at him and shook her head.

'It's nothing' she shook her head.

'I don't believe you' he told her.

'Okay then its complicated' she replied taking a mouthful of wine.

'Complicated how?' he pushed her gently.

'You don't want to talk about your parent's marriage and I don't want to talk about this' she snapped at him, she stood up and walked through to the kitchen. Joey frowned and after a few minutes followed her, he noticed there were cans of paint, some brushes and rollers in the kitchen.

'It's late, Joey. You should go home' she told him, putting her glass down and looking at him.

'We're just two friends having a drink' he told her 'you look like you could use a friend' he said softly.

'If you ask me, friends are somewhat over-rated' she replied quietly. She walked out of the room and down the hallway to the door, turning to wait for Joey. He put his glass down on the side and traced her steps. She opened the door and he stepped out, pausing to look at her.

'If you need a friend, you know where I am' he said softly. She shut the door without replying. 'Night Lauren' he said softly, even though he knew she wouldn't hear him.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. I will reply to the reviews so far later tonight. So…what do you all think if this chapter? Let me know your thoughts. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Eight **

The next morning Joey brought a coffee and doughnut and took a seat in the café. 'So how does that work?' Lauren's voice startled him, he looked up at her and she gestured to the doughnut 'you go for a run and then eat that?' Lauren asked him as she pulled out a chair and sat down at his table. 'Doesn't that kind of defeat the object?' she looked at him questioningly.

'I ran 4 miles, I think one doughnut is the least I deserve' he said with a smile.

She was silent for a couple of minutes before speaking again. 'I was thinking about what you said last night, about needing a friend' she looked at him 'if the offer is still there...?'

'Of course it is' he nodded his head. 'What are you doing today?' he asked her.

'Well, since I don't have any other friends here other than Alice and now you, and Alice has gone to work, I have no plans' she told him.

'You do now' Joey said with a grin.

'Why do I get the feeling I am not going to like this?' she mumbled as she took a sip of coffee, her cup hiding the small smile on her face.

'You will I promise' he told her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren was confused when he walked her back towards her house 'I don't understand' she said softly as she unlocked the door.

'You will. Now be a good girl and go upstairs and change into some old clothes' he told her. She frowned as she let them into the house and then ran up the stairs. Joey admired the view as she disappeared from his sight. He shook his head…he needed to get control of himself. This wasn't him…it wasn't who he was…

He made his way through to the kitchen and looked around, spotting some newspapers. He picked up the tin of paint and looked at it, smiling as he glanced around the kitchen.

When Lauren came down she was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, she found Joey in the kitchen and looked at him expectantly 'Okay I've changed…Now what?' she asked him.

'We are going to paint your kitchen' he told her and he was rewarded with a beaming smile.

'Really? You don't mind?'

'Nope. That's what friends do' he winked at her. 'So let's get started shall we?'

'Yes please' she told him smiling.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

A couple of hours later the kitchen was covered with the first coat of paint. They put down their rollers and brushes and Lauren made them both a coffee, they sat at the kitchen table. Joey looked at her, he reached across the table and Lauren stiffened and moved away from him 'you have a paint spot on your cheek' he told her softly, retracting his hand.

'Oh' she said, rubbing her face with the back of her hand 'better?'

'Well… depends if just a spot now becoming a smear is better' he teased her.

She laughed and shook her head 'Well no, not really… listen I really appreciate you doing this, Joey' she told him 'I'm sure you had better things to do on your day off than help me paint my kitchen' she said.

'Maybe I wanted to spend some time with you. Get to know you a bit better'

'I'm really not all that interesting' she replied 'in fact I'm fairly dull and boring' she added quietly.

'I don't believe that for a moment' he smiled at her. 'You haven't really said much about your life before here'

'There's not really much to say…' she said softly 'I used to live in Bexley then I moved here'

'What did you do in Bexley?' he asked her.

'I worked part time behind the bar in a restaurant, waitressed a little, not much else really' she told him and she dropped her gaze, staring into her coffee. Joey frowned, getting the feeling she was hiding something.

'So what made you move to Walford?' he took a sip of coffee.

'Mum talked about it sometimes, she used to live here when she was little. They moved to Bexley when her sister died. She was a drug addict, she overdosed' Lauren told him 'I moved here to start a new life'

'And how do you like it so far?' he asked her.

'I like it a lot' she said looking up at him 'I have a good job, hours I like. A house I like, I'm making some friends' she added with a smile 'Things are good right now' she nodded her head. 'I'm not sure how much longer I'll have a job though, Sharon says I need to flirt with the punters more to keep them coming back to the bar, I could use a few more tips' she frowned slightly. 'Ricky tried to help me but I was awful, I think I may have inadvertently insulted a few of the customers'

Joey smiled at her 'I'm glad you like it here' he told her softly. 'And I've already said I can help you with the flirting he said 'you can practice on me' he suggested.

'I wouldn't know where to start Joey' she admitted. 'And I'd probably make you laugh until you died…'

'Well you've had boyfriends?' he asked her, she didn't reply 'or …girlfriends?' he prayed to God she wasn't a lesbian. Not that there was anything wrong with her being one it just meant any chance he had of getting her into bed went from high to zero.

Lauren shook her head with a smile 'I'm not into girls' she told him.

'Oh! Thank god!' Joey let out a breath of air, Lauren stared at him wide eyed and then giggled.

'Joey!' she laughed at his brazen relief.

'I'm just being honest. I like you, Lauren' he told her softly.

'I'm really not into one night stands' she replied.

'That's a bit harsh' he gave her a hurt look.

'I'm just being honest' she replied with a grin. 'Oh come on, Joey, are you telling me you want to have a grown up relationship with me, get married, have children?' she asked him, already knowing his answer.

'Can't we have a date first?' he teased her.

'Familiar with the concept of dates are you?' she raised her eyebrows in surprise 'All right, tell me what would we do on our first date' she decided to put him on the spot.

'Dinner?' he said uncertainly.

'Is that all? Just dinner?' she raised her eyebrows at him.

'We could go see a movie' he shrugged.

'Wow, you're really sweeping me off my feet here' she told him as she got up taking her cup over to the sink and poured the dregs of her coffee down it 'my heart is racing so fast…..' she teased him with a grin. Silence fell between them, growing almost uncomfortable. It was Lauren who broke it, 'okay breaks over' she announced.

'You really are a slave driver' he muttered getting up too, leaving his cup on the table.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

As they worked Joey tried to help with Lauren's flirting techniques.

'It doesn't have to be anything big, just something subtle. Like when you're serving a guy at the bar make him think he's the only other guy in the club' he explained to her.

'And how do I do that?' she asked him with a frown.

'Well, you make direct eye contact, flash him a big smile and lean forward slightly to give him an eyeful of your cleavage and ask him what he fancies'

'And then what?' she stopped painting the wall and turned to look at him.

'Then he'll be eating out of the palm of your hand and will come back to you every time he wants a drink' he told her. 'Your tip glass will be overflowing' he told her confidently.

'And that will work?' she asked him with a frown.

'Yes. You've seen Sharon behind the bar?' he looked at her and she nodded 'and you've seen the kind of things she wears, short black skirts? Low cut tops? You've seen the way she is with the punters?'

'Okay so you want me to basically dress like a prostitute and flaunt my chest at total strangers and call them darling and wink at them?' she asked him.

'Did you just call my aunt… and your boss… a prostitute? Joey asked her, biting back a smile.

Lauren blinked at him, 'Oh, no. I didn't mean it like that… I meant….' She frowned.

'Relax, I'm kidding' Joey grinned at her and he laughed at the expression on her face. 'Look, all I'm saying is that no matter what the guy who comes to the bar looks like you have to act as though he has a chance of taking you home for the night' he told her. 'Make him feel special' he told her.

She smiled at him, thinking about how the girls he flirted with had a much higher chance of getting their wish than anyone she would be flirting with. 'Do I have to call them darling or sweetheart?' she pulled a face at him as she thought about Sharon again.

'No' Joey shook his head 'you call them whatever you feel comfortable with, babe' he told her.

'Babe?' Lauren tried out the word…'baby? Honey? Sugar?' Joey chuckled as she tried out the words.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

They finished the second coat of paint just after 1:30pm, and by the time they were done, both were covered in paint.

'I'll buy us lunch in the Vic' Lauren said to him 'you're welcome to shower here?'

'Yeah? Thanks' he nodded his head.

'You'll have to use the en-suite bathroom' she told him as he headed towards the stairs 'there are fresh towels in the cupboard under the sink'

Lauren cleaned up the newspapers, rollers and brushes they'd used and then made her way up the stairs into the bedroom, just as Joey stepped out of the bathroom, a white fluffy towel around his waist another one around his neck as he rubbed his hair. She caught sight of the black tribal tattoo on his forearm, the muscles rippling as he rubbed the towel over his hair. Lauren stood frozen in the doorway, her mouth open slightly as she stared at Joey's naked chest, watching as a rivulet of water ran over his chest and down over his six pack to disappear into the towel which was slung low around his waist. She slowly raised her eyes to find he was staring back at her. He watched as her cheeks turned pink and she looked down 'S…sorry' she stammered.

Joey was amused by her reaction 'It's okay' he told her 'I don't mind you looking' he said. 'In fact if you wanted to you could do more than just look' Lauren's shocked eyes shot up to meet his. Joey couldn't help but laugh at her expression. 'Or, if you want to even things up a little you could let me look at you fresh out of the shower' he raised his eyes suggestively and nodded towards the shower. 'Go on then' he told her.

Lauren burst out laughing, shaking her head 'don't you have any shame, Joey?'

'No not really' he said laughed, walking into the bedroom. He ran the towel through his hair a few more times before he rubbed it over his chest as Lauren crossed the room. She looked over her shoulder at him and saw another tattoo in the middle of his back, this was one had the superman emblem designed into a heart shape with wings either side of it. Lauren didn't normally like guys with tattoos, but for some reason she liked them on Joey. She liked them a lot. She shook her head and lowered her gaze. It was never going to happen. She wasn't going to be another notch on his bedpost.

'Have you done in the bathroom?' she asked him.

'For now' he nodded his head.

Lauren stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. A few minutes later he heard the shower start up.

Joey debated about staying in the room waiting for her when she came out but decided against it.

He picked up his dirty towels after redressing and went downstairs. He put them in the washing machine and made himself another coffee.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well it looks as though Lauren and Joey have got over their fight and Joey's now blatantly flirting with her. But Lauren's just laughing it off! Wonder how long he'll keep trying for? Don't forget to leave me a review. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Nine **

Ricky looked up as Lauren and Joey walked into the club together both laughing at something. They walked into the staffroom and Ricky followed, standing in the doorway, watching them together.

'You two are late' he frowned at them both, looking pointedly at Joey.

'Aren't you forgetting who the head barman is here?' Joey looked at him with a slight frown on his face 'We're not due to open for another fifteen minutes'

'Aren't we all supposed to be here to get things ready for opening?' Ricky replied, 'I'm just asking in case the job description has changed and I missed the memo'

'We're here now' Joey said with a frown. 'What's your problem?' he turned his attention back to Lauren 'You ready, babe?' he asked her

'Yep' she nodded her head, she shut her locker door and followed him out of the staff room.

Ricky saw the clothes she was wearing, and his jaw hit the floor. She was wearing a short fitting black dress which showed off her very sexy legs, curves, small waist and her very ample chest. She followed Joey behind the bar and Ricky saw he turned to look at her, grinning as he said something to her which set her off in a fit of giggles again, Lauren blushed and slapped Joey on the chest, causing Joey to laugh too. Ricky frowned, wondering once again if Joey had already made good on the bet they'd made He could see that something had definitely changed between the two of them since their last shift.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

When Lauren volunteered to go to the cellar to get some more mixers, Ricky half expected Joey to go with her and was surprised when he didn't. Ricky chose this time to speak with Joey, to see if he owed him some winnings.

'So, you and Lauren seem to be close' Ricky said as they were leaning on the back of the bar in a rare lull in people wanting drinks.

'Yeah, we spent the day together' Joey nodded his head 'She needed some help with some DIY at her house and I offered. We worked a bit more on her flirting skills which seems to be paying off…' he nodded towards her tip jar. 'Why are you so interested?'

'Just wondered…' Ricky shrugged casually.

'You don't stand a chance with her' Joey told him 'She's not interested in dating'

'Cause you've dated a lot of girls' Ricky shot back.

Joey raised his hand 'hey, man I'm just telling you how it is' Joey said to him 'If you want to have a go be my guest but she'll just turn you down' he told him confidently 'you want to take your break at the same time as her and try your luck? I'll cover the bar' he said with a smile.

'Yeah, you know what? I will' Ricky replied nodding his head 'just because you got nowhere doesn't mean I won't' he walked the length of the bar and started to work near Lauren. 'You're doing well' he noted as Lauren dropped some more coins into her tip jar. 'Joey told me he's given you some pointers on your flirting' he told her.

'And they're paying off' she said with a grin, jangling the coins in the jar indicating how much she had.

'Did he help you with your clothes too?' he let his gaze wander over her slowly, Lauren flushed slightly at his perusal.

'He made some suggestions' she nodded her head.

'Like I did?' he asked her. Lauren smiled sheepishly as she nodded her head once more.

'Yes like you did weeks ago. I should have listened to you then' she told him 'Flashing my goodies at the punters seems to be working a treat' she grinned.

'So I see' he glanced towards her tip glass again. 'Do you mind if I give you a few more pointers?' he asked her.

'The more the merrier' she replied.

'Try wearing your hair down' he told her, he reached behind her and pulled out the clasp she had in and her hair tumbled down her shoulders in waves. 'See that's sexy right there' he told her 'and you know what the saying is. Sex sells' he told her. 'You should try playing with your hair a little when the punters flirt with you, lower your gaze slightly and giggle, you can always throw in a light touch to their hand or arm' he told her softly. 'try it out on me' Joey watched from the other end of the bar as Lauren played with her hair, giggled and then touched Ricky lightly on the arm. Ricky grinned at her 'Perfect'.

Joey frowned at the sudden inexplicable feelings he had. It took him a while to figure out what these feelings were, jealousy. He had been watching Lauren "flirting" with Ricky and he was a little jealous, okay more than a little jealous. He didn't like the way it made him feel, he frowned. He had never been jealous in his life, well not for a long time at least and never over a girl. He could get any girl he wanted to. Although Lauren seemed to be the exception to that rule. He felt angry suddenly, at Lauren because she was causing this reaction in him. He knew it was an irrational reaction because she'd made it perfectly clear she wanted nothing more than friendship and he'd agreed. So when he thought about it he really only had himself to blame.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Ricky grinned at Joey as Lauren took her break. Five minutes later he walked over to his friend 'cover me' he said as he walked past him following Lauren into the staff room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Lauren looked up at him from the book she was reading 'All right?' she asked him.

'Yeah great, it's a bit slow out there so I figured I'd take my break now. Leave Joey to do some work for once' he said with a nervous laugh. He walked to the coffee pot and filled a cup 'do you want a refill?' he turned holding the pot out to her.

'No, I'm good, thanks' Lauren smiled at him, turning her attention back to her book.

'So….Listen I was wondering if maybe you want to go out sometime' he asked her. Lauren swallowed and pretended she hadn't heard him, pretending to be so engrossed in her book. 'Lauren?' Ricky said,

'Mmmm?' she glanced up at him briefly.

Ricky blinked, maybe now wasn't the best time to ask her out, she seemed distracted. He decided he'd try again later. 'Good book?' he said instead.

'Oh…yeah' she said in a distracted tone. 'It is' she nodded her head.

'What's it about?' Ricky asked trying to make conversation.

'Art' Lauren replied, she snapped the book shut and got up 'I'm going to see if Joey needs any help' she told him, stuffing the book back in her locker and rushed out of the staff room.

Ricky closed his eyes, knowing he'd blown it. He hated that Joey had been right.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Ricky spent the rest of the evening watching Lauren and Joey and feeling increasingly jealous by the minute. When the club closed he went into the staff room, grabbed his things and headed for the stairs.

'Hey! Where are you going?' Joey called after him.

'Home. You two can clear up, seeing as I had to set everything up on my own' Ricky called as he climbed the stairs. They heard the door shut and Joey frowned,

'What's his problem?' he started to gather up some glasses from table around the bar.

'Actually that might be my fault' Lauren admitted sheepishly.

'I doubt that' Joey said to her with a shake of his head as he set some empty glasses on the bar. Lauren took the glasses and loaded them into the washer.

'He asked me out earlier' Lauren told him. 'During our break'

'What? And you turned him down, broke his heart?' Joey teased her.

'Not exactly' Lauren said, blushing…'I pretended I didn't hear him' she admitted to him 'and I made an excuse and left him in the staffroom a couple of minutes later'

Joey looked up at her as he carried some more glasses back to the bar, 'Why'd you do that?' he asked her with a frown. From conversations with Alice he knew if his sister liked a guy she would go all shy and tongue tied and make a complete idiot of herself, Joey frowned deeper. Did Lauren like Ricky? He put the glasses down on the bar, moving behind it to help her load the washer, deciding to be direct. 'Do you like Ricky?'

'Yeah, he's okay' she shrugged not really understanding the meaning behind Joey's question.

'No I mean…do you _**like**_ Ricky?' he asked her again, her head lifted to look at him, she frowned.

'No of course not' she sounded slightly upset Joey thought she did 'I don't really know him very well and he's not my type' she said, reaching for some more empty glasses.

'What is your type?' Joey asked her his voice low, sultry.

'I haven't really thought about it' she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

'You must have a type of man you go for?' he pressed her.

'I suppose you have a type?' Lauren said standing up to look at him, her hands on her hips, inadvertently pressing her cleavage forward. Joey's eyes dropped to her cleavage briefly.

'As a matter of fact I do, up until recently I had a thing for blondes, now I have a thing for brunettes' he stepped closer to her, 'or rather one brunette in particular…' he trailed off with a tentative smile. Lauren swallowed 'do you have any idea how beautiful you are?' he asked her and he reached out and traced her cheek with his fingers tips, so softly she barely felt it. Her lips parted, her heart pounded in her chest as he leaned towards her.

'Joey…' her voice came in out in a whisper 'I can't…'

'Why not?' he asked her softly, his hand cupping her face and tilting her head towards his 'are you seeing someone else?'

'Stop' she whispered, she felt his breath on her lips and she closed her eyes. 'Stop' she told him again this time louder. Joey stopped. She took a step away from him 'I should go'

Joey frowned as she moved round him and disappeared into the staff room. He heard her locker door open and then a few minutes later close again. Pulling on her coat, Lauren checked to make sure she had her door keys before she walked to the stairs. Joey watched her leave, feeling lost and confused. No girl he'd met had turned down his advances. He didn't understand why Lauren had. The more time they spent together he had thought she liked him, now though, he wasn't too sure. Looks like bedding Lauren Cross was going to be harder than he thought. He looked around the bar and he sighed, and now he was going to have clear up the club on his own.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Some of you were asking for another chapter and I wasn't planning on posting another one tonight but….. A jealous Ricky acts rashly and asks Lauren out and she completely ignores him and pretends she doesn't know what he's talking about. And then Joey gets jealous thinking that Lauren likes Ricky and makes his move on Lauren…although I think he may have acted rashly too. So what do you think is going to happen next? And no before you as no more chapters tonight. Back tomorrow. Leave me a review **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Ten **

Joey left the club an hour later and he saw Lucy loitering outside, he glanced at her and started to walk back towards his flat, pushing his hands into his pockets.

'Joey!' she called out, noticing him walking by. He turned his head slightly, but carried on walking. She ran over to him, almost falling in her high heels. She caught him up 'I was waiting for you' she said softly.

'Oh?' he said dismissively.

'Yes, I haven't seen you for a while…I wondered if you wanted to hook up?' she suggested.

'You're all right thanks' he replied dismissively.

Lucy blinked 'So, have you got someone waiting for you at home?' she asked him 'or are you meeting someone?'

Joey stopped walking, turning to look at her with a frown 'What's it to you?' he asked her shortly.

'I thought we had an agreement' she said to him, moving closer to him, 'you scratch my back, I scratch yours' she said in a low sultry voice as she ran her hands up his chest to circle them around his neck. 'I have an itch that needs to be scratched' she looked up at him expectantly 'and I was kind of hoping you could help' Lucy smiled.

Joey looked at her. He had to admit he was feeling horny. He glanced around, there was too many people still out despite the late hour, he couldn't exactly drag her down an alleyway. 'Alright, come on' he said to her. She grinned at him with a squeal and as they started walking towards his flat she slipped her arm through his.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lucy grinned as she trailed behind Joey up the stairs to his flat. He unlocked the door and stepped in first, slipping his keys into his pocket. He shrugged his coat off, throwing it at the sofa and walking through to the bedroom. Lucy followed him and she stood there looking at him expectantly. He started to take off his clothes until he stood naked before her. She admired him in all his naked glory.

'Well?' he barked at her, making her jump 'are you going to give me a blow job or not?'

Lucy nodded her head eagerly, closing the distance between them and dropping to her knees she took his already rigid length into her mouth and began to suck hard, having done this for him several times before. Joey closed his eyes and his mind strayed once again to a certain brunette. Lucy was surprised when his hands tangled in her hair gently, he didn't grip it tightly or almost pull handfuls out of her head like he normally did. She was even more surprised when he pulled himself out of her mouth, tugging her to her feet and walking her backwards towards the bed. She lay down on it and he practically tore her clothes off her body. Pausing to grab a condom from the bedside table, he rolled it onto his erect cock and moved over her, thrusting inside her in one swift movement. She gasped in pain as he started a hard punishing rhythm. Lucy groaned, arching her back as she felt the beginnings of her orgasm rising. Lucy was surprised when Joey kissed her neck tenderly, softly, his tenderness not matching the brutality of his other actions. His hand slid between her legs to rub her clit, wanting to feel her coming with him, his mind pretending it was Lauren beneath him instead of Lucy. She came loudly when he pinched her clit, setting off his own release. He came hard and groaned loudly.

'FUCK! LAUREN!' he cried out.

Lucy frowned as Joey rolled off her just moments later, wondering who this Lauren was. Joey lay on his back for a few moments until his breathing had returned to normal. He got to his feet and padded through to the bathroom, a few minutes later she heard the toilet flush and he came back into the room.

'You can get dressed and go now' he said to her coldly.

'Are you sure?' she asked him softly 'You know I can pretend to be whoever you want me to be' she looked at him as she lay seductively on the bed before him. He climbed onto the bed with a sigh

'Lucy…' he started to say.

'You can do whatever you want to me' her cheeks flushed slightly at her words.

Joey's head turned towards her, this had its advantages. He wasn't entirely spent yet, he could feel his cock stiffening again, he considered her suggestion for a few fleeting seconds 'you're not spending the night' he told her firmly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Unable to settle down after walking out on Joey earlier, Lauren let herself out of her house and crossed the square towards Joey's flat. She opened the bottom door and walked up the stairs and she knocked on the door. She wondered if it was too late to be calling on Joey. She chewed on her bottom lip, maybe she should've thought about it before she knocked, after all she would see him tomorrow and she wasn't entirely sure what she was going to say to him or if she should even be doing this.

Joey groaned, rolling off the bed and grabbing his earlier discarded trousers, he pulled them on, zipping them up.

'Don't go, Joey' Lucy complained from the other side of the bed.

'Get dressed, Lucy' he told her coldly. He walked out of the bedroom, pulling the door slightly closed behind him and he walked to the front door. He flicked the lamp on as he opened the door and blinked in surprise at who he saw standing there. 'Lauren!?' he exclaimed.

'Hi…I hope it's not too late I just…' she frowned 'I wanted to talk…to explain…' she swallowed suddenly feeling a little awkward, looking down at her feet 'about what happened…in the club I…'

Lucy, who had peered through the bedroom door to see who was there, smiled when she heard Joey say the name he'd yelled out when he reached his climax. So that was Lauren, she thought to herself with sly smile. Well, she was going to nip this in the bud. She hurriedly dressed and she opened the bedroom door wide. She carried her shoes and knickers so they were dangling in her hands as she crossed the room, pausing when she got to the open door. She smiled at the abject horror on Lauren's face 'thanks for tonight, Joey. Same time next week then' she said, reaching up to kiss his cheek before she slipped out of the door. Lauren stared at her as she walked down the stairs, before turning to look back at Joey.

She frowned at him, shaking her head 'You know what…forget about it' she told him. She knew this was a mistake. 'There's nothing to explain' she told him.

'Lauren…' he called after her as she ran down the stairs and out onto the street. 'Lauren!' he ran barefooted down the stairs 'Fuck!' he slammed the door shut and turned, punching the wall by the door.

**AN: Thank you for all the reviews **** So Joey has done what Joey does best when he needs to be distracted…unfortunately for him Lauren felt she needed to explain why she didn't let him kiss her and Lucy overheard it was Lauren at the door and it looks as though she's ruined Joey's chances with Lauren! Don't forget to leave me a review. Back tomorrow. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Eleven **

The next day Joey walked into the café, he ordered a coffee to go and turned to see if Alice was in the café. She sometimes called in on her way to work. She wasn't there but Lauren was. Taking a breath he walked over to the table 'Hi' he said, she looked up at him. 'Can we talk?' he asked her.

'I don't think there's anything to talk about, Joey' she said shaking her head 'I shouldn't have come over last night, it was late, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything'

'You didn't' he said softly 'can I sit?' he gestured to the empty chair.

'Sure' she nodded, picking up her coffee and taking a sip. The chair scraped on the floor loudly as he pulled it out. He sat down and picked up a sachet of sugar, pulled the lid off his cup and tore open the sugar, tipping the contents inside.

'Was there something you wanted to talk about, last night?' he asked her.

'No. Not really' she looked into her coffee cup, swirling the brown liquid around with her spoon. 'So…the blonde…is she a regular…' she raised her head to look at him.

'You make it sound like I'm turning tricks' he told her, feeling uncomfortable with that thought.

'Sorry' she turned red 'I didn't mean…it's none of my business anyway' she said shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

'Lauren, about last night…' Joey started to say.

'You don't have to explain to me. You're a grown man, Joey. You can see whoever you want to see'

'No not…I meant…last night in the club' he told her. 'About what happened between you and me…'

'Nothing happened between us' Lauren said quickly 'we're friends, that's all' she told him, taking another sip of coffee. Her mobile beeped and she picked it up and looked at it. 'I have to go. I'll see you at work' she told him. She got up leaving him in the café, Joey sighed. That hadn't gone quite the way he'd hoped.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey got to the club early and bottled up. He kept glancing at the clock, counting the minutes until Lauren would be in. He was surprised when Sharon came down the stairs and walked behind the bar.

'Where's Lauren?' Joey asked her.

'She called in sick' Sharon said 'So did Ricky, so you are stuck with me tonight' she told him with a smile 'be like old times'

'Great' Joey nodded forcing a smile on his face and went back to work.

The shift was long and hard. Mainly due to the fact Jack came in and distracted Sharon, so Joey was pretty much working single handed behind the bar. By the time the shift ended he was shattered. Feeling guilty Sharon told him to go home, telling him she and Jack would clean up. Joey didn't need telling twice. He grabbed his jacket from the staff room, pulled it on and headed out of the club.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren had sat at home all night thinking about what had almost happened in the club with Joey and then about the way she had freaked out when she went over to see him and saw him with that girl. She knew she owed him an explanation. She glanced at the time, the club would be shut but Joey and Ricky would be cleaning up, she decided to go offer a helping hand, maybe Joey would tell Ricky he could go and then maybe she and Joey would be able to talk a little too. She got up, pulling her coat off the hook by the door, checking to make sure her keys were in her pocket before heading towards the club.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey stepped outside into the fresh air, his mind moved to Lauren and he wondered if she was really ill or was just avoiding him because he'd made a move on her. He was debating about going over to see her when he heard a soft female voice from behind him.

'Hi' he turned and saw it was a pretty redhead he'd served earlier in the club.

'Hi' he replied pushing his hands into his pockets, 'Club's closed' he told her 'and the taxi rank is a ways down there' he gestured along the road with his head.

'I'm not waiting for a taxi' she smiled shaking her head. 'I don't live far from here'

'So if you're not waiting for a taxi what are you waiting for?' he asked her.

'You' she replied with a seductive smile.

Joey smiled at her 'Is that right?' he started to walk towards her.

'I saw you eyeing me up in the club earlier' she told him 'My name's…'

'I'm not interested in your name, babe' he drawled as he took her hand. She grinned and willingly let him lead her down the alleyway behind the club.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren walked towards the club, pausing when she heard strange moaning noises coming from the alleyway. Ricky and Joey had told her sometimes couples went down the alleyway to hook up after the club had closed. She'd been horrified at the thought of having sex outside with a random stranger. Ricky had laughed at her reaction whilst Joey looked at her curiously.

Lauren continued walking towards the door of the club, pulling her keys out of her pocket. She dropped them to the floor with a noisy clatter and bent down to pick them up.

'What was that?' she heard a female whisper.

'Relax, it's nothing' someone replied. She recognised that voice, she was certain. That voice belonged to Joey. She froze to the spot, her mind whirling.

Lauren licked her lips and turned to go, retracing her steps. She turned and looked down the alley and she could make out two figures up against the wall. Quietly she walked to the edge of the alley and peered round the corner. She was certain the couple couldn't see her, she knew what she was doing was wrong, she shouldn't be spying on Joey but her morbid curiosity got the better of her. His latest conquest sounded as though she was having a good time judging by the moans coming from her. Joey was relatively quiet though.

As she peered around the corner, she could see the girl had her legs wrapped around Joey's waist, her skirt was bunched up at her waist. Joey appeared to be fully clothed. She could see the force of Joey's thrusts was pushing the girl up the wall and she thought there would be bruising, possibly cuts on her back from the rough surface of the brick. It definitely looked painful, but she was apparently liking it rough as a long moan sprang from her lips. Joey had started to grunt now, 'Ouch! Careful!' the female hissed at Joey. 'Hey! You're hurting me!' she exclaimed. Joey's breathing was faster and ragged and he groaned loudly. Lauren held her breath, unable to tear her eyes away from the couple in the alley as Joey became more vocal.

Moments later Lauren heard the sound of a zipper being done up, worried she was about to get caught she hurriedly headed back along the road, breaking into a jog. She got back to her house and let herself in, leaning up against the door she fought to get her breath back. What she'd just seen was running over and over through her head – on automatic replay.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

As Joey crossed the square, he saw Lauren's lights on, he frowned, wondering what she was doing up so late. He walked to the door and knocked lightly. A few minutes later the door opened and a pale faced, red eyed Lauren appeared.

'Hey, I was just on my way home and I saw your light on' he told her 'Sharon said you were sick and I just wanted to make sure you were okay' he looked at her and saw her face flush bright red, he frowned at her 'what's wrong?' she shook her head.

'Nothing, I'm fine' she told him quietly.

'You don't look fine' he said softly 'you look like you've been crying'

'It's late, Joey' she said, looking down and finding her welcome mat suddenly very interesting.

'I don't have plans…if you want to talk?' he asked her 'or if you just want company' he suggested. Lauren took a deep breath 'we are friends aren't we?' he asked her, she nodded her head.

'Sure, I'm just not in the mood for company tonight' she replied 'I'll see you tomorrow, Joey' Lauren shut the door in his face, he heard the locks being turned and then the lights were turned off downstairs. He sighed, turning he walked down the path and towards his flat.

Inside the house, her face flamed hotter as the images she'd witnessed in the alley flashed through her head. She couldn't even look Joey in the eyes as he talked to her for fear he would be able to read her mind and know what she had done and seen. For some inexplicable reason she had burst into tears when she'd got back home and started to process what she had seen and her emotional outburst had left her feeling more than a little confused. Why should she be upset that Joey was having sex with someone else? It wasn't as though she wanted to have sex with him, she'd made it clear they were just friends…so why was she so upset about it?

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Derek walked into the pub, lunchtime the next day with Max and Joey and they saw Lauren sitting by herself at a table, a plate of food in front of her that she seemed to be more interested in pushing around her plate than actually eating. Joey frowned.

'Beers all round?' Max asked them.

'Please' Joey nodded his head, making a beeline for Lauren before Derek could say anything. Derek sighed unhappily, Max looked at him

'What's up?' he asked his elder brother, frowning when he realised he was looking past him. He turned and saw Joey with a pretty brunette girl 'Oh…has Joey got a girlfriend?'

'Since when have you known my son to have a girlfriend?' Derek asked raising his eyebrows.

'Well…there's a first time for everything' Max replied. 'She's a pretty girl'

'Yeah she is, she's a sweet girl too. She's hit it off with my Alice' Derek told him as he picked up his beer 'I'd like to think they could be good friends. The last thing she needs is for Joey to run another one off' he frowned, as he saw Joey reach across the table and take Lauren's hand in his. Derek led Max towards the table and they sat down. 'Hello Lauren' Derek said, earning a glare from Joey, Lauren pulled her hand out of his 'everything okay, darling?'

Lauren looked at him and nodded her head 'yes' she replied quietly, she glanced up briefly at Joey.

'This is my brother Max' Derek continued.

'Another Branning' Lauren said, a small smile on her lips 'This place is overrun with them' she said shooting a glance towards Joey, he bit back a laugh. 'So Max what do you do?'

'I own and run the car lot. Branning and Sons' he told her.

'Oh… do you have sons? Are there more of you?' Lauren asked interestedly.

Joey started to laugh as Max shook his head, a slight flush on his face. 'No, Uncle Max doesn't have any kids' Joey said 'He just thinks Branning and Sons makes it sound like a family business, thinks it brings in the punters'

'It does' Max protested indignantly.

Derek smiled 'we used to let him borrow Joey when he was younger, he'd be out there washing cars and Max would pay him £5 to call him dad when people stopped to look at the cars'

Lauren smiled, turning to look at Joey again, 'I made quite a bit of money' Joey remembered. 'I even sold a car once, do you remember Uncle Max?'

'For £400 under the asking price' Max reminded him, 'I think you were fourteen and you fancied the daughter of the woman who wanted the car' he said.

'Something like that, probably' he grinned at his uncle, unashamed with what his uncle was teasing him with.

'Don't blame you though mate, her mother was pretty tasty' he grinned back.

Lauren rolled her eyes, shaking her head. It seemed Joey was a chip of the old block with his uncle. She put her fork down, giving up on her food and picked up her drink and took a sip.

'So you moved here from where?' Max asked Lauren.

'Bexley' she replied.

'Not that far then?' Max replied.

'Nope' she chewed on her bottom lip 'I'm sorry if this rude but I have to go… it was nice to meet you Max' she told him she stood up and frowned, 'what sort of cars do you sell?' she asked him 'I'm looking for a little run around'

'I have a few of those…you come over and we'll have a look, see what we can work out'

'Thanks' Lauren smiled at him. 'What time do you close?'

'Six' Max replied.

'Great I'll pop over' she told him 'I'll see you later' she walked to the doors of the pub and paused, glancing over her shoulder at Joey, meeting his gaze for a second before she left, her face felt hot again and she wondered if she was ever going to be able to look Joey in the eyes again without going red. Joey swallowed and turned and seeing Derek and Max were both looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

'What?' Joey frowned at them both 'we're friends' he said defensively.

'And make sure that's all you are' Derek warned him, 'she's too good for you'

**AN: Oh another warning from Derek telling Joey that Lauren's too good for him. Wonder if he'll get the hint and stop chasing her? Looks as though the two of them made up too, although Lauren's comment about Joey turning tricks hit a little bit close to home! Don't forget to leave me a review! Back tomorrow…..**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Twelve **

After lunch Joey went to the club to do the stocktake with Sharon. She was leaving as he was coming in and they met halfway on the stairs.

'I thought we were doing a stocktake?' he frowned in confusion, wondering if he'd mixed the up days or even the time.

'We were, but Lauren's filling in for me. The school's called and I need to go pick up Denny, apparently he's not feeling well' she explained 'have a talk to Lauren will you, she's told me she might have to hand her notice in but she wouldn't tell me why, just said it was for personal reasons, see if you can find out what's going on. I really do not want to lose another member of staff'

'Sure' Joey said, surprised Lauren was thinking of leaving. He made his way down to the basement and he could hear Lauren on the phone, the conversation sounded heated, whoever it was with. He loitered outside the door, partly to give her some privacy and partly to try and find out a little more about her by eavesdropping on her private conversation.

'Mum…please…stop worrying…I can't come and see you…I know I haven't been to see you for a while…yes of course I want to see you… No, please don't. Mum…' Lauren trailed off with a sigh '...I know…I'm sorry too mum. You'll find someone else. Harry was an idiot leaving you…Please don't cry...I miss you too…' Lauren said with a shaky voice, Joey could tell she was either close to tears or already crying. 'Mum we talked about this last night, you weren't the one who did anything wrong…mum…no…you said yourself some marriages don't work…of course I don't think you pushed him away…mum…No, I didn't like him but only because I thought he wasn't good enough for you…look I have to go but I'll call you in a few days…I love you too, bye mum' she said and she hung up. Joey heard a soft thud as the phone was put down on a box. A few seconds later he heard her sobbing quietly.

Feeling guilty he'd been listening he pushed the door open and stepped into the basement. 'Lauren?' she looked up at him and burst into tears. 'Lauren!' he crossed the room and pulled her into his arms, she sobbed into his chest. 'It's okay, whatever it is it can't be that bad' he said softly, rocking her gently from side to side. They stayed like that for a few minutes, maybe more, Joey wasn't sure and he didn't care.

When she pulled away from him she looked embarrassed. 'I'm sorry' she whispered with a sniff, she wiped her eyes with the heel of her hands. 'I'm just going to go to the loo' she told him.

'Okay. I'll make a start down here' he told her.

'Okay' Lauren nodded her head, he watched her go up the stairs and he picked up the clipboard and looked around the room.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren returned some 20 minutes later and as soon as Joey looked at her face he could tell she'd been crying some more.

'You can talk to me you know. Whatever it is I'm not going to judge you' he said softly. 'Maybe I can help?' he suggested.

'You can't' she shook her head. 'We should get on with the stocktake' she told him softly, wanting to concentrate on something else for a while.

'All right, if you're sure' he said looking back at the clipboard.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

An hour later they'd finished and they made their way up to the bar and Lauren took a deep breath letting it out slowly.

'So do you want a drink?' Joey asked, stepping behind the bar.

'Please, large white wine' she nodded her head, slipping onto a stool.

Joey got their drinks and carried them over to a table a distance away from the bar. Then he walked back over to her and took her hand, pulling her off the stool and led her to the table. She sat down and Joey pushed her drink towards her. Lauren picked it up and drank half of it down in one go.

'So, did you and your mum have a falling out?' he asked her 'before you moved here?'

'Not exactly. Mum's still dealing with Harry leaving her. Harry was is her husband…ex-husband now I guess' Lauren told him with a frown. 'I didn't really like him all that much, and to be honest he didn't like me either so I didn't visit so often when he was there' she admitted to him. 'She wants me to go and see her now that Harry's gone and I…I can't' she trailed off.

'I thought you and your mum were close' he frowned at her, slightly confused.

'We are…things are….complicated. I had to leave' she told him.

Joey blinked 'Are you in some sort of trouble?' he asked her.

'No' she said 'nothing like that. I'm not on the run from the Police or anything' she shook her head.

'But there was something back home you wanted to get away from?'

'Yeah' she nodded, she picked up her drink and drank half of what was left before putting the glass back on the table. She seemed to lose herself in her thoughts for a moment before she looked back at Joey. 'Are you doing anything tonight?' she asked him.

'No, why?' he replied.

'I just…I don't want to be by myself again tonight' she admitted to him.

'I could cook dinner? Give you another cooking lesson?' he suggested. He saw something flash in her eyes but before he could name it, it was gone 'or how about a takeaway?' he suggested instead 'Scarlett's does food to order'

'Sure' she nodded her head 'Sounds perfect' she smiled.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews! I am so glad you all seem to be enjoying TBB! Well a little bit of Lauren's and her mother's past has been explained now. I wonder if Harry did something to Lauren? Perhaps that's why she's reluctant to see her mother? Perhaps that's why she left? And Joey and Lauren are having a "date"…well okay no it's not a date but I bet that's what Joey's thinking. Please leave me a review…if you would like another chapter tonight!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Thirteen **

After they'd eaten back at Lauren's house, they sat on the sofa sharing their second bottle of wine. Lauren had consumed most of the wine and her cheeks were flushed from the effects of the alcohol. She leant back on the sofa and Joey looked at her.

'So is there anything you want to talk about?' he asked her softly, giving her another chance to open up to him.

'Nope' she shook her head.

'Well, there is something I want to talk to you about as it goes…Sharon spoke to me, she told me you were thinking of leaving' he told her softly 'she asked me to talk to you about it, try to get you to tell me why, persuade you to stay'

'I don't know what I'm going to do' she frowned, looking down.

'Why do you need to leave? Don't you like it here?' he asked her. 'I thought you said you did…'

'I like it here fine' she said 'and the job is great…'

'But?' Joey pressed her.

'This is just the kind of place I wanted to move to, small and quiet. But everyone knows everyone's business here…everyone already knows my name, people I've never even met before' she told him 'maybe I shouldn't have got a job in a nightclub, maybe I should've moved further away…' she trailed off, staring across the room vacantly.

Joey blinked 'I know you don't want to tell me but maybe you need to go back home and face up to whatever it is you're running away from before you can move forward' he told her.

'It's not as simple as that' Lauren told him, she drained her glass and she put it down on the coffee table, she got up and went up the stairs. Joey wondered what she was running away from and why he was so worried about her. He frowned and got up, setting his glass on the table, he walked to the window and looked out. It was raining pretty hard outside, and the night was muggy and close. He thought there might be a storm at some point. He turned away from the window, pushing his hands into his pockets and walked around Lauren's living room. He realised she didn't have any ornaments or trinkets around. Not even any photographs. It was as though wherever she came from she left in a hurry. He turned at the sound of the floorboards creaking at the doorway. Lauren looked at him.

'Are you leaving?' she asked him.

'I was just looking out of the window. It's raining pretty hard now, I think there might be a storm coming' he told her. A flash of lightning filled the room as soon as the words left Joey's mouth.

Her eyes moved to the window and lingered there briefly, she swallowed and tensed up waiting for the crack of thunder. She flinched when it came moments later. Joey smiled, she was afraid of the storm, just like Alice was.

'You don't like storms, huh?' he asked her 'neither does Alice, she'll be curled up on the sofa whimpering and snuggled against my dad' he told her with a smile as he walked back to the sofa and sat down. Lauren did the same, Joey refilled her glass and another flash of lightning lit the room. He noticed how she shifted closer to him.

'I used to curl up with my mum' she with a smile.

'Did you go see Uncle Max about a car?' he asked her, trying to distract her from the storm.

'Mmhmm, but he didn't have anything within my price range, but he said he'd keep an eye out for me' she told him 'He was nice, said he would give me a discount because I was friends with you' she told Joey.

'Well I am his favourite nephew'

'Aren't you his only nephew?' she queried and Joey grinned at her.

'Valid point, it's irrelevant, but it's a valid point' he told her with a grin. She yelped when a crash of thunder exploded overhead, shifting once more closer to Joey. He casually draped his arm over the back of the sofa 'Come here then' he told her.

Lauren blinked at him in surprise and then moved so she was sitting close against him, he put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. 'I'm really sorry about this' she said 'I'm 24 years old and afraid of thunder!' she said a little embarrassed.

'It's okay, you and Alice both, except Alice is 20' he said 'and a daddy's girl'

'I'm glad you're here, Joey' she told him softly.

'Yeah?' he turned his head to look at her.

'Yeah' she nodded 'I haven't really had a friend I could talk to…' she said softly 'and I know I haven't told you much about me or my past…..'

'Hey' Joey cupped her face with his hand, his fingertips caressing her cheek. He stared intently into her eyes 'you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but I'm here if you ever want to talk about anything. I can keep secrets, Lauren' he told her softly. He moistened his lips with his tongue as her gaze dropped to his mouth. Joey slowly closed the distance between them, lifting her chin fractionally with his fingers as his lips moved closer to hers. He glanced at her eyes and saw them flutter shut. Feeling a sense of nervous anticipation, Joey tentatively pressed his lips against Lauren's, unprepared for the sensations that hit him from one soft kiss. He pulled back slightly in surprise, opening his eyes to look at her, wondering if she felt them too. Moving forward he kissed her again, his tongue tracing the seam of her lips, she opened to him and he carefully slid his tongue inside her mouth to caress her tongue. He felt one of her hands move to his chest and he leant forward, pressing her back against the sofa. Her hand moved to the back of his head and she ran her fingertips through his hair. He felt her tense suddenly and she pulled away from him, ending the kiss.

'I'm sorry…Joey, I can't' she told him, looking down.

Joey frowned 'Why not?' he asked her, as she scrambled up off the sofa.

'It's…'

'Complicated?' he finished her sentence for her. He sighed and got up and walking over to her, resting his hands on her shoulders. Lauren looked up at him.

'It's not that I don't like you, Joey. I do…I just…you said yourself you're not the settling down with one girl type and I really don't want to end up being just another notch on your bedpost' she told him 'I'm really not worth the effort, you'd only end up disappointed.'

'Why do you say that?' he asked her, remembering she'd told him one night with her would put him off sex forever.

'Because it's the truth' she said softly 'Look, I don't know what idea you have of me in your head Joey but I promise you I'm nothing like the girl you think I am' she shook her head sadly 'All I want is for us to be friends, I don't want anything else…'

Joey gazed down at her, she looked so sad, he couldn't refuse her request. 'We are friends' he told her, nodding his head 'promise' he said, 'come here' he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. He felt her relax against him. He pressed his lips against the top of her head, once again finding himself wondering what had happened in her past. Maybe in time she would tell him. 'I'll tell you what, I'll talk to Uncle Max, see if we can go with him to one of his auctions, have a look around and maybe we can find a car you like hey?' he asked her.

'Yeah? You'd do that?' she raised her head to look at him, Joey saw the surprise in her eyes and he nodded his head with a smile.

'It's what friends do' he told her.

Lauren smiled back at him 'thanks' she said softly laying her head down again.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

The next morning as Derek was walking back from the MinuteMart with his newspapers and some milk, he saw Joey creeping out of Lauren's house. He frowned. He loved his son, but sometimes he didn't know who he was or why he acted the way he did, treated women the way he did. He obviously needed to have another little talk with Joey.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. Well it looks as though Joey and Lauren are friends again…even after Joey pushed things between them again. But this time Lauren responded and returned the kiss! She's really confused about her feelings right now but no more confused that Joey! What is Lauren hiding? Has it got something to do with Harry? And I think Joey's in trouble with his dad. Leave me a review. Back tomorrow.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fourteen **

Joey opened the door to his flat, finding his dad raising his hand just about to knock. 'Dad! What are you doing here?'

'I came to see you. Are you on your way out?'

'Yeah. I have no food' Joey replied 'so I figured I should buy some' he grinned as his father rolled his eyes at him.

'That can wait.' Derek said stepping into the flat, shutting the door behind him 'I think you and I need to have another little chat'

'About what?' Joey asked curiously as he moved to the sofa, sitting down.

'About why I saw you leaving Lauren's house in the early hours of this morning' he replied.

'Oh that' Joey said, he sighed 'I just stayed with her because she was afraid of the storm, like Alice is. She was jumping at every thunderclap. I couldn't just leave her, could I?' Joey said defensively.

'Did you sleep with her?' Derek asked him.

'Not that it's any of your business but no, dad, I didn't' Joey frowned at his father angrily

'She's a nice girl, Joseph. She deserves to be treated better than the way you treat girls.'

'Lauren and I are friends. It is possible for me to have friends who are girls'

'Name me one other' Derek retorted. Joey opened his mouth to reply, his mouth gaping like a goldfish before snapping shut 'you can't can you?!' Derek frowned at him 'I know you. You can't go through your life treating girls the way you do. Especially not Lauren! Your behaviour sickens me, I'm ashamed of you'

Joey frowned at him 'you're… You're ashamed of me?' he snapped back at him 'I'm not the one who lets people walk all over him. I'm not a sad pathetic loser' Joey continued angrily, Derek blinked in surprise at his son's angry torrent of abuse 'I wasn't the one who stood by whilst my wife screwed countless men, I wasn't the one who let her run off with one of them, leaving her two kids behind' Joey walked to the door and opened it wide, turning to stare at his father 'I think you should go' Joey told him anger flashing in his eyes 'before one of us says something we'll regret'

'I think you already have' Derek replied quietly as he walked out. Joey closed his eyes as he heard the outside door slam shut.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren had just stepped out of the shower when she heard someone knocking on her door. She wrapped herself in a towel, pulled her robe on top and grabbed another towel for her hair and made her way down the stairs.

'Who is it?' she called out.

'It's me' she heard Joey say.

She opened the door 'Hey' she said 'come in' she stepped aside and he came in 'everything okay?' she asked him

'Are you only just up?' he looked at her noticing she was in her robe.

'No' she replied shooting him a look. 'I've been cleaning the house, I've just had a shower. Do you want a coffee?' she walked towards the kitchen

'Please' he nodded, trailing after her. He leant up against the kitchen counter as she set about making coffee. 'We're okay right?' he asked her. 'I mean after the kiss?'

Lauren turned to look at him 'Yeah, of course we are' she nodded her head 'have you been shopping already?'

'No. I was on my way out when my dad came over, apparently he saw me leaving yours earlier and he read me the riot act'

'What about?' Lauren frowned at him.

'About you, about how I treat women, about how ashamed he is of me. I told him you and I were friends but he pretty much said it was impossible for me to be just friends with a girl'

Lauren made the coffee 'How many friends who are girls do you have?'

'Don't you start' he frowned at her.

'I'm not' Lauren made the coffee and handed Joey a cup 'I was only asking'

'Sorry…it's just… dad and I ended up having a fight' he admitted to her 'I said some things I probably shouldn't have'

'Like what?' Lauren turned to look at him, her coffee in her hand.

Joey closed his eyes 'I called him a sad pathetic loser' he admitted.

'Joey!' Lauren exclaimed in shock and surprise.

'He started it! Joey retorted.

Lauren shook her head. 'What are you? 12?' she raised her eyebrows at him. 'Look, Joey, your dad is just worried about you. Worried that you seem to be content to screw your way through life. STD's can be nasty you know, and your dad could be seriously worried that your parts are going to turn green and drop off' her eyes fell to his groin and she pulled a face 'thus ruining his chances of having little Joey's running around'

Joey blinked at her and then started to laugh 'and like I told you before I'm always careful' he told her 'I'm not stupid' he shook his head, following her through to the lounge, they took a seat on the sofa, she missed Joey's lustful gaze at her long shapely legs as she drew them underneath her. She turned to face him.

'Talk to your dad, Joey. Apologise' she told him.

'I can't' he frowned 'you should have seen the look on his face when I talked about mum'

'Have you ever asked him about what happened with your mum? I mean the reasons why she left?'

'She left because she was a whore who was more interested in fucking other men than being with her husband or her family' he snapped at her. Lauren flinched and looked down, Joey felt instantly guilty 'I walked in on her once' he admitted quietly. 'I was 8, almost 9. She was having sex with some guy up against the fridge whilst my dad was asleep in their bedroom'

'I'm sorry' Lauren said softly 'You must have been very confused…' she said thinking about Joey finding his mother like that in the middle of the night with someone he knew wasn't his father.

'The next morning she told me it was our little secret' he told her 'She took me out for the day, spoilt me rotten, we had a really great time' he frowned as he remembered 'but she wasn't doing it because she wanted to be with me, she was there because she didn't want me to blab to my dad'

'Did you ever tell him?'

'No' Joey looked down, guilt flashed across his face. 'I've never told anyone about it before either' he admitted to her. Lauren smiled at him gently.

'I'm glad you told me' she said softly 'Best friends can tell each other anything' she told him 'with no judgements, no repercussions'

'Best friends?' he looked up at her.

'Yep' she nodded 'Best friends…I've never had a best friend before' she admitted to him.

'You have now' Joey grinned at her.

'If you want I can talk to your dad for you. Tell him that hell will freeze over before I sleep with you?' she suggested with a teasing grin.

'Thanks' he said nodding 'It might help'

'But…if I were you I would talk to him myself' Lauren said taking a sip of coffee.

'Yeah, maybe' he murmured.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Derek read Joey the riot act and Joey let his father have a few home truths too! Bad Joey! At least he talked to Lauren about it and hopefully he'll take her advice and apologise to his father and ask him what really happened the night his mother left! Please leave me a review. You may be lucky enough to have another chapter tonight. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Fifteen **

Over the next 3 weeks Lauren and Joey grew closer. They became pretty much inseparable. Wherever one was you could guarantee you would find the other or the other wasn't too far away. This worried Derek no end, so unbeknownst to Joey, Lauren paid him a visit, much to Derek's surprise. Even though she told Joey she would talk to Derek, she knew he didn't think she was being serious. The truth of the matter was she hated seeing the rift between the two men and she wanted to help.

'Lauren, sweetheart, what are you doing here?' he asked her, 'did you have plans with Alice?'

'No actually I came to see you…but if you're busy…' she trailed off biting her lip nervously.

'No, no, not at all, please come in' he smiled at her, stepping to one side to let her into the house. 'Would you like a tea or coffee? 'I've just put the kettle on?'

'Coffee please' Lauren nodded following him into the lounge.

'Okay I'll be back in a jiffy, you make yourself at home' he said.

Lauren took a seat on the sofa, she spotted a photograph of Joey and Alice together on the table and she reached forward and picked it up. Even as a boy Joey was handsome Lauren thought to herself, even with his gappy toothed grin and his spiky hair that stuck out all over his head at odd angles.

'That was taken a week before his mother left' Derek told her, as he came back into the room 'He'd lost his front tooth the night before, the tooth fairy left a £5 under his pillow' he smiled as he remembered 'he'd been saving up for a bike and had another £5 left to save, so he walked round with a huge grin on his face for days, pretty impressed that the tooth fairy had been so generous…Until his mother left anyway, he never did get the bike' Derek frowned. Lauren put the photo frame back on the table as Derek put the cups down. 'So…was there something you wanted to talk about?' he asked Lauren.

She nodded her head, crossing her legs as she sat back on the sofa 'There is…it's about Joey' she told him.

'Oh?' Derek picked up his cup and took a sip of the hot liquid, burning his mouth in the process.

'I know you're worried about him, about his…' she wondered how to put it into words '… lifestyle choices' she told him.

'He's told you?' Derek asked.

Lauren nodded her head 'we talk about a lot of things' she nodded her head 'I don't want to be stepping out of line here or breaking his confidences or anything like that' she told him quickly 'He's my best friend and I don't want to risk losing that…' she said, picking up her cup and taking a tentative sip. 'Alice is my friend too and I know in the past Joey has managed to run her friends off, but I want you to know that won't happen with me. Joey knows I'm not interested in anything other than friendship.'

'Won't stop him trying though' Derek replied, clearly unconvinced.

'He's just scared' Lauren told him 'Of settling down, of making a commitment' she licked her lips glancing at the photo she'd just put down and seeing Joey before he was affected by the events of a week later. She wondered briefly how he would've turned out if his mother hadn't left, 'he told me about his mother leaving, the argument he had with you, and you should know he feels terrible. I've told him he needs to speak to you, clear the air… he has a lot of questions' she told him 'one's he's been too afraid to ask, about what happened between you and his mum' she took another sip of coffee. 'I know I've only been in the square for a short time, but you've made me feel welcome, you make me feel like I belong here and I haven't felt like that for a long time. I'm going to tell you what I told Joey. I told him Hell would freeze over before I had a sexual relationship with him' she blushed slightly as she said the words. 'I'm really not about to get involved with anyone' she told him softly 'I've been in a relationship that was bad for me and I'm not about to do it again' she said looking up at Derek. 'You can trust me' she said. Derek could see the sincerity in her eyes. He wondered once again about her past. The one she seemed to want to keep hidden.

'I know and I do' he nodded his head 'and you have been good for Joey but sooner or later….' He trailed off.

'Joey has a big heart, he keeps it hidden most of the time but it's there and it's fragile' she said to him 'he's the most caring and sweetest person I've met in a long time, he makes me feel safe' she smiled as she talked about her best friend 'Talk to him. Explain to him what happened between you and his mother, it might help and he might open up to you' she suggested, 'even though he's a grown man now, he's still your little boy' she licked her lips. 'He's not as tough as he makes himself out to be'

Derek smiled at her, a little surprised by what she'd just revealed to him, 'Thank you. For taking the time to talk to me, you really care about him don't you?' he asked her.

Lauren nodded her head 'I've never had a best friend before' she admitted to him, 'I kind of like it.'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Taking Lauren's advice, after a few days, Joey went to apologise to his father. Both men sat down and had a heart to heart and as it turned out, Lauren was right, there was more to his parent's marriage break up than he knew. Derek explained he'd thrown himself into his work, to provide for his family and had neglected everything else, his children and especially his wife. They'd had huge fights, which Joey and Alice knew nothing about, with his mother pleading with Derek to cut back on his work, to spend more time with her, with his kids, but he'd refused. Derek didn't blame his wife for seeking comfort elsewhere, she wasn't getting it at home from him. He'd also put Joey straight about the string of men he assumed his mother had been with, in fact it was only one man. Her first boyfriend. The one Derek had stolen her away from. They'd bumped into each other when things were rough between her and Derek and discovered there were still sparks and things progressed from there. Joey was also surprised to learn his mother had wanted to take Alice and Joey with her, but Derek wouldn't let her. He was the one who told her if she left she would have no contact with her children. He told Joey how heartbroken his mother had been to leave behind her two children, whom she loved with all her heart, but he hadn't really given her much of a choice. He carried a lot of guilt over this decision and found he felt relieved to have told Joey the truth. Both men agreed, however, it wasn't something Alice needed to hear.

In turn, Joey had told his father about the reason he acted the way he did. Because he didn't want to be hurt the way his mother had hurt him. He told his father he was always careful when he had sex, the last thing he wanted was to be saddled with a kid from one of his one night stands or to be infected with an STD. He also told Derek his relationship with Lauren was platonic. He admitted he fancied her…a lot, he even told Derek about the kiss they'd shared and that afterwards Lauren had been upset and had made it quite clear she didn't want to go down that route with Joey. He confided in his father that he was concerned there was something in her past that had scared her or hurt her badly and he was worried about her. Derek agreed that Lauren was a dark horse and he felt she was running away from something. He'd tried to get her to talk about her past but she was very cagey about it, careful about how she replied to questions. Derek thought she was hiding something, but he didn't think it was bad, he didn't think she was in trouble with the police or anything like that. He thought she was just scared of something or someone in her past.

Family dinners at Derek's house became a regular weekly event and Joey was always there too. Derek had for all intents and purposes "adopted" Lauren. She was good for Alice, bringing his daughter out of her shell more and more and he would have to admit she was good for Joey too. Because he was spending more time with her, his nocturnal activities had decreased a little, not ceased completely, after all he was a red blooded male, but they had decreased nonetheless and for that Derek was grateful.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Much to Joey's annoyance, Lauren got upset with him for using Lucy as a "go to girl" Lauren could clearly see the girl had feelings for Joey and she told him he was being cruel by leading her on the way he was. He didn't see it that way, saying Lucy was a consenting adult and she knew the score and she had made the decision by herself to hook up with Joey whenever he wanted to. Lauren had got really cross with him and they'd ended up having a huge row about it and Lauren had stormed off in tears. Hours later she'd gone over to see him and broke down in tears again, telling him she was sorry. He'd held her for over an hour whilst she begged him to forgive her for shouting at him over something so silly, all she would say was it reminded her about something from her past. Joey didn't push her for further information. Joey hated to see her upset, he hated even more that he'd been the cause of her tears. Joey had assured her things between them were fine and he made a vow to himself, as Lauren had got so upset over things that he would no longer use Lucy for sex. He didn't want Lucy to be reason he lost a Lauren as a friend.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Keeping his promise Joey had gone to an auction with her and Uncle Max to find her a little run around. She'd spotted the ideal car moments after they'd started to walk around and nothing else Max or Joey showed her would change her mind about the one she'd set her heart on. The price was way too high for her though, even after Max had given her the discount, Joey had offered to cover the shortfall but Lauren had vehemently refused his offer, telling him she wanted to pay for it by herself, meaning that the car was all hers. Max went to talk to the owner of the car to see if he could talk her down a little bit, whilst Joey and an anxious Lauren watched on. Joey slapped her hand away from her mouth when he saw she was biting her nails. 'Ouch!' she frowned at him.

'Don't bite your nails!' he scolded her 'you'll make your hands and fingers look ugly'

She scowled at him, pushing her hands into her pockets. She looked up again to see Max walking back towards them a grim look on his face as he shook his head, 'She won't budge on the price' he told them.

'Let me try' Joey said, Lauren looked at him.

'And you think you're going to do better than me because?' his uncle raised his eyebrows questioningly.

'Well for one thing I have more hair and I'm better looking than you, not to mention sexier' he replied with a cheeky grin. He turned to Lauren. 'Give me your money' he told her. She pulled the envelope out of her bag and handed it to him as he shrugged off his jacket. 'Hold this for me?'

Lauren took his jacket and the two of them watched as Joey puffed out his chest and strolled over to the woman.

'Is he going to do it?' Lauren asked Max.

'Doubt it. She was adamant she wasn't going to sell it for any less than three grand' he told Lauren.

Lauren watched as the woman smiled and blushed at something Joey said, she flicked her hair and touched Joey in the arm. Lauren knew what this was. She'd seen it happen at the club on numerous occasions. He was flirting with her and she was flirting back. She narrowed her eyes at them both. Wondering if Joey was offering her sex for a reduction in price of the car.

A couple of minutes later, the couple shook hands and she handed over an envelope and keys to Joey and he in turn handed her the envelope of cash. He turned back towards Max and Lauren, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

'I believe these are yours' he said to Lauren handing her the things the woman had given him.

'You got it?' Lauren asked him

'Yep' he nodded his head. 'I just used my natural charm and sex appeal' he told her.

Lauren looked at the keys and with a squeal of delight, flung her arms around Joey's neck, who in turn picked her up and spun her round 'thank you!' she exclaimed 'you're the best'

'I know' he grinned causing them both to giggle. He set her back down on her feet and he reached out to tuck a stray tendril of hair behind her ear and they shared another "moment" hovering between the lines of just friends and more than friends, but, due to the fact Uncle Max was there watching them both with an amused expression on his face, the moment was fleeting. Joey was certain Lauren had feelings for him but he didn't want to try and force things between them.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Things had taken a surprising turn though one night after a shift at the club. The two had walked home together and Lauren invited Joey in for coffee, as she often did, both of them too wired to sleep, despite the late hour. Joey made himself comfortable on her sofa as she made them some coffee, she brought it through to him and they talked as they drank. An hour later he announced it was time for him to go home or he'd end up spending the night. Lauren got up and walked him to the door and she smiled up at him, reaching up and intending to kiss him on the cheek, but Joey unintentionally turned his head at the same time and their lips met. She pulled back a little surprised and the two of them gazed at each other, then she grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him into another kiss. Long, heated moments later she ended the kiss and told him he definitely had to go home before things went further then she wanted, especially since Joey hadn't even taken her out on a date yet. Joey took that as a good sign. Things were definitely looking up.

The "change" in their relationship had happened last night and Joey hadn't seen Lauren since, she'd had the day off and he'd spent his day in the basement sorting out the new delivery with Ricky. Tonight was the monthly "Branning" dinner in the Vic, and as an "adopted" member of the family, Lauren was going to be there. Joey was nervous and excited at the same time. He wondered how she was going to react when they saw each other again.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

The family meal was in full swing, Lauren was laughing and joking with everyone and she seemed to be much happier than Joey had seen her be in a long time. Of course they'd not had any time to be alone, to talk about last night, Joey hoped they'd have time later after everyone had finished eating.

Lauren turned to look at Joey and he winked at her, she smiled and winked back, turning back to answer a question Jack had just asked her. Her answer, which Joey missed, had the whole table roaring with laughter.

'Well, doesn't this look cosy?' an all too familiar voice said, startling Lauren. 'Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friends?' he looked around at the people seated at the table before turning his attention back to Lauren.

Joey glanced at Lauren, seeing all the colour had drained from her face, her earlier happiness gone, replaced by something he couldn't quite describe. She swallowed. 'Of course' she said a slight tremor in her voice 'This is Joey, Alice, Derek, Jack, Sharon and Max Branning' she told him as she looked at her friends faces one by one as she introduced them all. Low whispers were being exchanged by the occupants of the table. Derek exchanged looks with Joey before they both turned their gaze onto Lauren. The next words out of her mouth stunned them all into silence.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. So Lauren and Joey are spending as much time as they can together and everyone seems to have noticed but not everyone likes it. Lauren also went to see Derek before Joey did to explain a few things…and then Joey took her advice and went to see his dad. And Joey got a car for her! I wonder what he said to make the woman sell it to him at the price Lauren could afford! And they kissed and this time Lauren initiated it! I wonder what's going to happen next between the two of them. Oh….who's the person who's just walked into the Vic and seems to know Lauren? Is it Harry? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow x **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Sixteen**

'Everyone, this is Jake Stone…My husband'

A hush descended over the table as they all digested Lauren's words. She stood up and she turned to Jake 'we should go' she told him.

'Yes. _**We**_ should' he nodded his head, Lauren turned and picked up her coat and bag and without another word to anyone, she left the pub. 'It was nice to meet you all' Jake smiled at them as he followed her out.

Joey frowned 'Did you know?' Derek asked him.

'No' he shook his head 'she didn't mention anything about having a husband' he told his father.

'Sharon?' Jack asked his wife 'did you know?'

'No. She put single as her marital status on the application form' she told them 'She said her name was Cross'

'That's her mother's name' Joey said his voice sounded hollow 'Cross'. Derek looked at his son with a frown, he looked hurt. Derek wondered if Joey had downplayed his feelings for Lauren when he had told him he fancied her. Or maybe something had happened, since they'd talked, between the two of them. Derek frowned harder as he thought about it, could his son be having a relationship with a married woman. He took a drink of his beer, watching Joey.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren missed work for the next two nights. Sharon informed Ricky and Joey she'd called and requested a couple of nights off and she'd agreed, figuring she wanted to spend some time with her husband.

Joey had tried to call Lauren a few times but her phone was alwaysswitched off. He was worried and confused. Why wouldn't she tell him she was married? Why would she kiss him that night if she knew her husband was going to turn up? Why hadn't he moved with her? Why did she look…surprised (he wasn't sure that was the right word to use to describe the look on her face) to see him? He had so many questions and the only person he could get the answers from wasn't around. He was frustrated that he couldn't talk to her and as far as he knew neither Lauren nor Jake had left the house for a couple of days. He didn't want to think about what they could be possibly be doing in there. He was angry with her for not trusting him enough to confide in him. To tell him the truth.

He turned to serve a blonde at the bar and saw it was Lucy. He grinned at her 'Lucy, what can I get you?' he asked her.

'Surprise me' she grinned back at him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey groaned as he thrust into the soft warm heat. He was pounding into her relentlessly and she relished the fact he was seeking refuge in her. She groaned loudly as he brought her to another earth shattering orgasm. Tonight, sex with Joey was different. He couldn't seem to get enough of it, of her. He'd taken her back to his flat and they had screwed up against the door before he dragged her to the bedroom and taken her roughly from behind on the bed. Then he'd taken her again once more on the bed and now they were in the shower, he was actually kissing her, kissing her like a starving man and fucking her as if he had gone without sex for months rather than a few weeks. Lucy was in seventh heaven. This was what she wanted from Joey. (As well as exclusive girlfriend status, obviously.) She was already a little sore, she wouldn't deny that, and Joey was showing no signs of letting up. She knew he hadn't come yet. She also knew tomorrow morning she was going to be aching all over. Joey was certainly giving her a workout tonight. He moved them from the shower and she locked her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck as he carried their dripping bodies back through to the bedroom. She was surprised when he carried her out of the room, through the lounge to the kitchen, pressing her against the wall, his thrusting intensified, causing Lucy to cry out in pain. Unbeknownst to her, his eyes were fixed on number 43. Fixed on the silhouette of a certain brunette girl in the bedroom window. Imagining it was her he was buried deep inside, her that he could feel surrounding him, her he was fucking. He came hard, crying out at the force of his release. His fingers digging into Lucy's skin painfully. His breathing was ragged as he withdrew his wilting member and let go of Lucy. She hit the floor hard, hurting her foot in the process. He walked into bedroom and gathered up her clothes, taking them back to Lucy, he threw them at her.

'Get out' he ordered her.

Lucy gathered up her clothes, tears stinging her eyes as she hurriedly dressed. She heard the slam of the bedroom door as she walked down the stairs. Her heart and dignity in tatters. She'd let him do it again. Use her and hurt her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Two nights turned to four and Joey was determined to find out what was going on with Lauren. And he had the perfect excuse, he was dropping off her wages as per Sharon's request. Joey rang the doorbell and waited. A few moments later, he heard footsteps walking towards the door, it opened and Lauren stood there.

'Hi' he said softly. Lauren looked pale, her eyes were red and bloodshot as though she had been crying or not sleeping well. He searched her eyes for some sign she still wanted him, but found none. Her eyes looked empty.

'Joey what are you doing here?' Lauren asked him in a whisper, a slight frown on her face, she glanced behind her and stepped outside, pulling the door almost closed behind her.

'I just came to see if you were okay, you haven't been in for a few days. I thought I'd bring your wages and the rota for next week' he said, pulling an envelope out of his pocket, he held it out to her.

'Thanks' she said taking it from him, she looked down at it, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth 'that was really nice of you' she said to him, she turned and went back inside and started to close the door.

'Is everything okay?' he asked quickly before she shut him out again.

'Yes' she nodded 'everything's fine' she told him 'I just haven't been feeling well…' she said softly 'I'll be back at work next week. Sorry if you've been short staffed. I can do extra shifts if you need me to ….'

'We'll see' he said 'we missed you last night, needed a fight breaking up, Ricky tried your softly, softly approach, earned himself a black eye' Joey grinned at her. They both heard a noise in the house which sounded to Joey like an empty bottle clattering to the floor. 'I thought maybe we could talk?' he lowered his voice to a whisper. 'You know you can tell me anything…we are best friends…'

'I'm sorry, I can't. I really have to go' she said 'thanks again for this' she held up the envelope and disappeared into the house before Joey could say anything else.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well… Jake Stone has arrived on the scene and as some of you guessed he is her husband! So why did Lauren leave him? Why didn't she tell anyone about him and why would she kiss Joey like that? Joey's reaction at the news that the girl he wants to have sex with is married has sent him straight into the arms of Lucy Beale! I wonder if Lauren is going to open up to Joey and talk to him? Leave me a review.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Seventeen **

Friday night, most of the residents of Albert Square were in the Vic when Jake and Lauren walked in. A hush fell over the pub as everyone turned to look at them. Lauren felt nervous and self-conscious and had been firmly against the idea but Jake insisted they go, so here they were. Lauren was surprised to see Joey and Ricky there too. She wondered if the club was closed.

'Lauren, darling, come and join us' Derek called out. Joey shot him an annoyed look, Jake put his hand in the small of her back and guided her towards the table.

'Let's go join your new friends' Jake whispered in her ear.

'Jake…no' she whispered back.

'I said, let's go and join your new friends' he repeated firmly, give her a sharp nudge.

She forced a smile on her face and slid into the seat next to Derek. She could feel Joey's eyes burning a hole in the side of her head and she shot a glance at Jake, seeing he was occupied at the bar. She turned to give Joey a tentative smile, he didn't return it. Lauren turned away feeling heat in her cheeks, guessing she'd gone red. 'Here you go, sweetheart' Jake said taking the free seat opposite her, pushing an orange juice towards her.

'Thank you' Lauren smiled at him.

'I thought we'd sample the food here' Jake told her 'I've taken the liberty of ordering for you, you don't mind do you?

'No, of course not' she shook her head with a smile.

'So, Lauren, will you be coming back to work soon?' Sharon asked her.

'Yes' Lauren replied quickly as she saw Jake open his mouth to reply 'tomorrow night, I really appreciate the time off you've given me. I'm so sorry about the short notice'

'Don't be, you've covered for me enough times at short notice, it was the least I could do' Sharon smiled at her 'We miss you. We'll all be glad you're coming back'

Lauren smiled at her 'thank you, I'm looking forward to coming back' she picked up her orange juice and took a small sip, placing the glass back on the table.

'You got the rotas and your wages?' Sharon asked her. 'I sent Joey over to give them to you'

'Yes, he put them through the letterbox' she nodded her head. Joey frowned, wondering why she would lie, he'd seen her face to face and handed them to her.

Joey talked quietly to Jack, half listening to the conversation that was going on around the table, which mainly seemed to be focussed on Jake and Lauren.

Derek went to get a round of drinks and he was surprised Jake requested another orange juice for them both. He was even more surprised when he returned to the table and saw their food had arrived and Lauren had fish. He was sure Lauren had told him she hated fish.

Joey glanced at Lauren's plate and was surprised to see it was fish. He knew she hated fish. He frowned in confusion wondering why Jake would order something for her that she didn't like. He was even more confused to see she was eating it. Maybe she lied about not liking fish, she'd obviously lied about a lot of other things. Having a husband for instance.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

After they'd finished the food, Joey noticed Lauren looked a little green. She got up and excused herself and went to the ladies room. When she came back she looked pale and clammy as she slid into her seat and Joey caught sight of the wedding ring that now adorned her finger.

'Alice wanted me to ask you if you were still on for shopping with her on Saturday' Derek asked Lauren. Joey noticed Jake's eyes shot up to Lauren.

'Who is Alice?' Jake asked her.

'Derek's daughter' Lauren said to him softly 'We're friends'

'Are you now?' Jake said, Lauren nodded. Joey didn't like the tone of Jake's voice.

'I'm sorry…Derek is it?' Jake said, turning his attention to the man next to Lauren 'but Lauren won't be available this weekend. We have plans' he told him. 'Isn't that right, Lauren?' he asked her.

'Mmhmm, yes, we have plans' Lauren repeated, nodding her head 'will you tell Alice I'm sorry and I'll see her some other time?'

'Of course I will, darling' Derek nodded his head.

'Thank you' she smiled at him.

'Well we should get going' Jake said standing up 'it's been nice talking to you all' Lauren stood up, knocking her glass over in the process, the orange juice in her glass spilled across the table and into Joey's lap

'Oh! I'm sorry!' Lauren exclaimed. Jack leapt up and grabbed a towel off the bar, handing it to Joey, who dabbed at the liquid.

'Look what you've done. You are so clumsy aren't you, hey?' Jake asked her.

'Yes' she nodded her head, her eyes meeting Joey's, she took a breath as Joey looked at her. 'I'm so sorry, Joey' she said again. Joey had a feeling she meant she was sorry about a lot more than the orange juice.

'It's okay, it's only orange juice' he told her with a smile 'it'll wash and be as good as new' he told her. Lauren held Joey's gaze.

'Ready, Lauren?' Jake said loudly. She jumped and she turned to look at her husband.

'Yes. Yes I'm ready' she told him.

Joey frowned as he watched them leave. This Lauren was completely different to the girl who had first moved to Albert Square, different to the one he knew. He wondered why. If he was worried about her before he was really worried about her now.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. I wonder why Lauren lied about Joey seeing her, talking to her? I wonder why she ate fish? I would imagine Jake was not pleased that Lauren left him. How did he not notice before? Why did she leave him? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter** **Eighteen **

The next night Lauren came into work and went straight into the bathroom. When she came out some 20 minutes later she went behind the bar and started to unload the mixers.

'You're back then?' Ricky said from behind her, she shrieked in surprise and the two bottles she was holding in her hands slipped from her grasp and shattered on the floor. 'Sorry!' Ricky exclaimed 'I thought you'd heard me come in' he said to her as she spun round to face him, her eyes wide and fearful.

'You don't just sneak up on someone like that' she snapped angrily. 'You almost gave me a heart attack!' she frowned at him.

'Hey, I said I was sorry' he held his hands up in surrender.

'You can clear the mess up' she said pushing past him and walking into the staff room. She slammed the door and leant up against it, breathing fast.

She felt someone try the handle and push against the door and she moved away from it. Joey came in.

'Lauren?' he asked her 'what's going on?'

'Ask your moronic friend' she snapped at him, slipping out of the room.

Joey frowned 'Okay…' he muttered under his breath. He stashed his coat in his locker, rolled up his sleeves and went out to the bar. He noticed Lauren was at one end and Ricky at the other. 'What the Hell happened?' he asked him.

'Beats me, apparently I "snuck up" on her and she freaked out dropped the bottles and then threw a hissy fit!' he said as Joey looked up at Lauren 'I'd steer well clear if I was you mate, she must be on her period or something'

'Really? And you wonder why you don't get laid!' Joey rolled his eyes. He walked over to Lauren 'are you okay?' he asked her softly.

'Yes. I'm fine, Joey' she nodded her head.

'Can we talk later?' he asked her 'maybe on our break?'

'There's nothing to talk about, Joey' she shook her head.

'What about what happened the other night, the kiss' he lowered his voice.

'It was a mistake. I told you I couldn't get involved with you, I told you I wasn't interested in being another notch on your bedpost. Now you know why. You need to stay away from me' she told him firmly.

Joey frowned as she put the last of the bottles away and walked over to Ricky to get some more. It was going to be a long shift.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

As the days passed, Joey found he missed Lauren. He missed their friendship and camaraderie. He missed her brutal honesty with him. He missed her laughter, her teasing and the way she told him what she really thought… or he thought she had anyway. Now he wasn't so sure because apparently there was so much he didn't know about her. Joey also found he missed the way he felt when he was with her. He used to look forward to seeing her. Now she barely spoke to him at work and when she did it was purely shop talk, nothing else. There was no joking and teasing or messing about anymore. And it left him feeling empty and numb. He'd only known Lauren for 7 weeks before her husband turned up but she'd become so deeply entangled in his life… more than any other girl he'd known, despite the fact he'd never slept with her. He was surprised and hurt she'd turned into a completely different person overnight. And he was beginning to find he wasn't sure he liked the person she'd become very much which made him feel worse. Every time he saw her it was just a reminder of the friendship he'd lost.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. Poor Joey he's missing his best friend and Lauren must be feeling the same way… I wonder when the two of them are going to talk…If you want another chapter tonight (which is an exciting one) then you know what to do. You have until 9pm! **


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Nineteen**

6 weeks after Jake arrived on the square, things were about to change again.

Joey had been out with Alice and he'd only been back in his flat for a few minutes when he heard a soft rap on the door. He groaned, reaching out to open it. Hoping to God it wasn't Lucy. Making a mental note he really needed to make a concerted effort to stop fucking her. Even he was beginning to think he was in a relationship with her with the amount of times he'd hooked up with her over the past four weeks. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw who was standing there.

'Lauren?' he asked her softly 'Are you okay?'

'Can I come in?' she asked him, in a quiet voice.

He hesitated for a moment, wondering why she was here, before nodding his head 'of course' stepping back to let her in. He closed the door behind her as she walked into his flat, he watched her with a confused frown as she looked around his flat as if she was looking for something.

'Do you want a drink?' he asked her stepping into the kitchen. 'I've got wine, beer, orange juice'

'Scotch?' she asked as she walked out of the room, she opened a door and saw a room full of boxes and junk. There was only two doors left to go through. Joey followed her.

'I have brandy?' he offered.

'Brandy will be fine' she replied, he poured her a drink as she opened another door and peered into the closet briefly, before closing it again. Joey took the drink over to her, she took the glass and stared at the contents. She drank it down in one and handed the glass back to him, opening the bedroom door and stepping inside. He watched her cautiously as she walked towards the bed. 'So this is where the magic happens?' she said looking at him. He swallowed, not answering her. She ran her fingers over the metal bedframe. 'It's not exactly what I expected your bedroom to look like' she said to him. Joey put the glass on the book shelf.

'Lauren, what are you doing here?' he asked her softly. She slid her coat off and draped it over the bedside table, she licked her lips as she looked at Joey; he watched her as she stalked over to him, running her hands up his chest. He caught her wrists in his hands as they moved up to his shoulders.

'I thought this was what you wanted' Lauren looked him directly in the eyes 'I mean that's what all the flirting has been about, the innuendo's, the accidental brushing past me behind the bar, the bet you made with Ricky?' she said to him 'Don't you want to win your bet, Joey?' she asked him.

'There's no bet' he lied shaking his head.

'That's not what Ricky says' she replied 'Don't lie to me, Joey. You know what I'm talking about, the bet you made about which one of you was going to fuck me first'

'We were just messing about' Joey said 'it wasn't a serious bet…and it was before I even knew you' he lied again, vowing next time he saw Ricky he was going to have some serious words with him. 'Just two guys messing about on a slow night in the club, and you weren't the only girl mentioned….' He frowned, looking at Lauren, wondering why she was behaving this way. 'Where's Jake?' he asked her.

'Jake?' she echoed, 'he's gone out' she pulled her hands out of his and looked at him 'Is this because of Jake? You've changed your mind about fucking me because you've found out I'm married?' she asked him.

'I've got two rules. Firstly, I don't sleep with married women and secondly I don't break up marriages' he told her firmly. 'Why didn't you tell me?' he asked her.

'It was none of your business' she replied with a frown.

'Then what are you doing here?' he replied. She looked up at him, turning she grabbed her coat off the bedframe and headed towards the door. Joey sighed.

'Lauren…' he caught up with her at the door, grabbing her hand. 'How long is he going to be gone?'

'Four hours or so' she replied.

'Why didn't you tell me you were married?' he asked her again.

'It's complicated' she sighed 'I knew I shouldn't have stayed here for as long as I did. I would've gone if it wasn't for you' she told him. 'Why'd you have to be so nice to me?' she frowned at him.

'Sorry' he said biting back a smile.

Lauren sighed 'It's not funny, Joey' she frowned at him 'everything's such a mess' she told him.

'What happened?' he asked her 'I take it you weren't expecting Jake to just show up like that?'

She shook her head 'No, I have no idea how he found me, I thought I'd covered my tracks. Even my mum didn't know where I'd moved to'

'Come on, come and sit down' he led her to the sofa, pulling her down beside him. 'Talk to me' he urged her, knowing there was more to Jake's arrival than he first thought. 'What happened, Lauren?'

Lauren took a deep breath 'I left him' she said. 'He went on a 6 week restaurant visit in America…he's a chef' she explained to him. 'As soon as he was on the plane I packed and I left' she told him. 'I got a mobile, so I could talk to my mum and I paid for everything with the cash I'd saved. I dropped my married name. I didn't have any friends there so no one knew I was going and I left in the dead of night just to make sure no one saw me.'

'You left him and he didn't know?' he asked her in surprise, she nodded her head.

'I didn't know what else to do, I didn't have another way out, I thought this would work' she frowned 'I didn't expect he'd come looking for me'

'Why wouldn't he? You're his wife, Lauren' he told her confused. He knew if she were his wife and she disappeared when he was away he would certainly go looking for her.

'I asked for a divorce but he refused…he's made a lot of money over the last few years. I told him I didn't want his money, all I wanted was a divorce but he still refused' she said looking down at her hands. She saw the gold wedding band on her hand again and her eyes filled with tears. 'I shouldn't have left the ring' she frowned as she looked at it. She twisted it on her finger before pulling it off and tossed it onto the coffee table, it rattled as it hit the table top.

'Why don't I get us some more drinks?' he asked her, Joey had a feeling they were both going to need them. Lauren looked at him and nodded.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey returned a few minutes later with the drinks but she had gone from the sofa, he looked around the room and found her standing at the window. 'Here' he said walking over to her, handing her a drink.

'Thank you' she took it and swallowed a large mouthful. 'You must think I'm a terrible person. You must think I'm like your mother, running out on her husband' she said softly.

'Actually, I took your advice and I talked to my dad about that' he said softly. 'Turns out it wasn't as black and white as I thought' he told her 'he told me that their marriage was already in trouble before mum….left' he said with a frown. 'I didn't have a chance to tell you about the conversation we'd had' he told her 'I guess things look a little different from the eyes of a nine year old boy' he said with a bitter laugh.

Lauren turned to look at him 'I'm sorry' she said softly.

Joey gazed at her, licking his lips nervously 'for what?' he asked her 'being right about there being more to the breakdown of my parent's marriage than I thought?'

'Everything' she said 'not explaining sooner'

'I tried to call you, I've left you voicemails and texts' he told her

'You have?' she asked surprised.

'Yeah. My best friend disappeared overnight…I was worried'

'I've hidden my phone from Jake' she explained to him as she turned back to the window 'a girl with no friends has no use for a mobile phone, it's a waste of money' she whispered almost to herself.

'What happened? After Jake arrived? After you left the Vic?' he asked her.

'Nothing' Lauren said shaking her head 'he said he liked the house, hated the décor though…he made me paint all the walls beige' she said 'he told me he was surprised to find me gone when he returned from his trip. He said he'd been worried something terrible had happened to me and he had to find me to make sure I was okay. He reminded me I was his wife and as his wife my duty was to be at his side. He's moving here' she said to him quietly 'He's gone home to pack up his things' she took a breath 'He'd go mad if he knew I was here with you…with anyone'

'Has he hurt you?' Joey asked her, she heard him put his glass down and his hands were on her shoulders and he turned her around to look at him, his eyes scanned her face, her body for any signs of injury'

Lauren shook her head 'No, not physically, that's not his style, usually' she said 'He's only ever really hit me once and I told him if he did it again I'd go to the Police' she told him.

'He hit you? When?' Joey frowned at her.

'After we were married' she said to him 'We were at the top of the stairs, I lost my balance and I fell…' she trailed off with a frown, her eyes clouded over as she remembered something.

'Why don't we go sit down hey?' he asked her 'You can tell me as much or as little as you want to' Joey told her.

Lauren nodded her head and she followed him into the lounge.

**AN: Oops…. Well Lauren's found out about the bet and tried to throw herself at Joey…but Joey refused. But at least the two of them are taling now…really talking…Leave me a review…Back tomorrow.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty **

Once they were settled on the sofa again, Joey took a deep breath as Lauren stared into the glass that was currently clutched in her hands.

'He was my first boyfriend' she told him 'he used to spend a lot of time at my place, his parents… he said his father was very strict and they used to have rows all the time. His father used to hit him, he'd turn up at my mums covered in blood or bruises…over the smallest thing apparently. I had lots of friends before I met him, and I didn't realise it at the time, but I kind of forgot about them when he came along. We were 13 when we first met and he became my best friend…soon he was my only friend. Things kind of moved on from best friends to boyfriend and girlfriend…I don't really remember when it happened, or even if I wanted it to. It just…happened' she frowned slightly with a shrug of her shoulders 'he was my first…everything really' she said and she blushed slightly. 'My 16th birthday was two months away and Jake decided he didn't want to wait anymore so he decided we were going to have sex. My mum was working and we had the place to ourselves…I didn't really want to but Jake…Jake has a way of getting you to do things you don't want to do, making you think it was your idea in the first place…does that make sense?' she glanced at Joey.

'He manipulates the person or the circumstance to his own agenda' he nodded his head 'makes perfect sense'

'It wasn't what I expected it to be…sex I mean' she said to him 'I don't think it was what Jake expected it to be either. I just knew I didn't want to do it again…Ever! Our relationship kind of started to go downhill from there. I refused to have sex with him again and he would never force me, he tried to manipulate me into it a few times but he never pushed it when I said no' she paused to take a drink. 'I found out on my birthday I was pregnant' she told him 'It turns out once really is enough. I'd repeated my mum's mistakes, I thought she was going to be so angry with me when I told her but she wasn't' Lauren said with a smile 'she was great, she held me while I cried, told me whatever I wanted to do she would support me, whatever the decision' she took another drink 'I told Jake that night and he accused me of sleeping with someone else, called me a slut and broke up with me. His parents came round the next day with Jake in tow and his father said Jake was going to man up and own up to his mistakes' Lauren said with a sigh 'A month later we were married and moved into a flat his father owned' she told him

'You got married when you were barely 16?' Joey asked her in disbelief, Lauren nodded 'and your mum let you?'

'Everything just happened so fast and I …I didn't want to end up like my mum…I thought once the baby came everything would be okay, we'd be a family and we'd be happy, so I went along with it. Mum said I didn't have to but…' she trailed off.

'Do you love him?' Joey asked her.

'No. I don't' she drank the rest of her brandy and sat forward to put the glass on the coffee table. 'I don't think I ever really loved him' she frowned.

'That's kind of sad' Joey said.

Lauren spun round to face him 'And how many of the girls you've fucked have you been in love with?' she snapped at him.

'I didn't mean it like that…' Joey sighed 'I'm not judging you and I know I can't really dole out advice on love having never been in love with anyone myself. I just meant…Okay I don't know what I meant' he admitted in defeat.

'I'm sorry I shouldn't have snapped at you' she told him with a sigh, she ran her fingers through her hair and stood up again, returning to the kitchen to peer once more out of the window. Joey followed her.

'What are you looking for?' he asked her. 'Are you worried he's going to come back early?'

'No' she shook her head 'besides it doesn't matter if he does, I told him I had things to do in the West End today and then I would be going to the club'

'What happened to the baby?' he asked her.

'I lost the baby' Lauren replied softly 'when I fell down the stairs…'

'I'm sorry' Joey said quietly. Lauren nodded her head. She turned around to look at him. 'I don't understand something, if he's gone now. Why don't you leave?' he asked her.

'Because I can't' she replied.

'Why not?' Joey frowned

'I don't have any money, I don't have anywhere to go. I don't have any way of leaving.' she looked down.

'I have money saved. And you have your car. We could go back to yours pack up a bag and we could go. I have some friends you could stay with until you figured out what you wanted to do' he suggested.

She smiled sadly, shaking her head 'I can't. He's taken the car keys away, and anyway he'd find me'

'How?' he frowned.

'I don't know. He just would. I didn't think he would find me here. But he did' she licked her lips, lifting her head to look at Joey. 'I've missed you' she said softly 'I know you didn't go anywhere, I did, but you don't understand how Jake can be. He doesn't like me having friends, especially male friends and if he thought you and I were seeing each other…'

'Then we keep it a secret' he told her softly. 'Come here' he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. 'And we'll figure out a way for you to leave, go somewhere Jake will never find you' he promised her.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews… Joey and Lauren are still talking and Lauren's filling Joey in on her life/past with Jake. So what is going to happen? Is Joey going to read her the riot act for leaving her husband? Or is he going to be there for her? Let me know what you think, leave me a review. Back tomorrow. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty One**

Later, they had relocated to the living room, each had a cup of coffee in their hands.

'Why didn't you tell me all this before?' he asked her.

'I couldn't take the chance of someone finding out about Jake' she said to him 'Everyone around here knows everyone else's business and I like to keep mine private' she sighed 'It wasn't that I didn't want to tell you, Joey, it was hard not to. I mean after what you told me about what happened with your mum I thought you'd just react the same way if I told you I'd left my husband whilst he was in America' she admitted to him. 'You weren't exactly open to the idea there could have been more to your mum leaving than you thought. You were just convinced it was down to her cheating. And I've never cheated on Jake' she shook her head.

'Have you wanted to?' Joey asked her softly

Lauren shook her head 'no' she frowned 'when someone tells you enough times you are ugly and unsexy, fat and useless, you start to believe it' she told him 'and if your husband can't stand to touch you, why would you think anyone else would want to?'

'You don't sleep with Jake?' Joey asked her before he could stop himself 'I'm sorry, it's none of my business. I shouldn't have asked you' he frowned.

'We've been married for 8 years, nearly 9 and I could probably tell you every single time we've had sex.' she said to him, her face flushed at her admission.

'Does he cheat on you?' Joey asked her, surprised by what she's just told him.

'I think so' she nodded 'He gave me chlamydia once' she said her cheeks becoming redder, 'then he tried to accuse me of cheating on him, until I threw his words back in his face' she said. She paused taking a mouthful of coffee.

'Can't you divorce him on the grounds of adultery?' he asked her

'Not without proof' Lauren shook her head 'and I don't have any' she closed her eyes, leaning her head on the back of the sofa 'he's pretty good at hiding his life from me…he wants me to quit working at the club'

'Why?' he asked her 'what does he expect you to do all day?'

'He's thinking about opening a restaurant here, wants me to work there'

'I'm sure Ian Beale will have something to say about that' Joey said

'Ian's restaurant will be out of business within a month of Jake's opening' Lauren said with a sigh 'I don't know how he does it but Environmental Health appear at the competition and the restaurant gets closed down' she told him. She sat forward and put her coffee cup on the coffee table with a sigh. She frowned 'I should make a move' she told him, she stood up, pulling on her coat. She moved to the door.

'I'm sorry' Joey told her softly 'I haven't really been much help have I?' he asked her as he stood up and walked over to her.

'I feel better now I've told you the truth' she admitted to him 'Now I have someone to talk to' she pulled on her coat and she turned to look at him 'Are we okay, Joey?' she asked him with a worried frown.

'Of course we are' he nodded his head 'come here' he said, taking her hand and pulling her into his arms, he hugged her tightly. 'I'm glad you told me, Lauren'

'You won't tell anyone else what I told you will you?' she asked him, pulling back to look at him anxiously.

'Of course not' he shook his head 'and I'll figure out a way we can see each other and talk' he told her 'I'll look at the rotas' he added thoughtfully, almost to himself. Lauren nodded her head and her eyes filled with tears 'don't cry, babe' he whispered softly 'I promise things will be okay and I will be here whenever you need me' he cupped her face in his hands 'you know that right?' he asked her softly. Lauren licked her lips and nodded her head.

'Thank you' she whispered softly. Joey looked at her and pulled her back into this arms with a sigh, he felt her clinging to him as her tears fell, as if she was letting go of all her pent up emotions. He closed his eyes resting his chin on the top of her head.

'Why don't you stay here a bit longer hey? You can't go home like this' he told her when it became apparent her tears weren't going to stop anytime soon. 'You can't let anyone in the square see you like this, they'll be worried about you and have questions' he told her softly. 'Stay here for a bit longer, hey?' he suggested to her as he glanced towards the bedroom, he turned and led her towards it and then swept her into his arms and he carried her to the bed and lay her down on it.

He took off her shoes and he helped her take her coat off before going into the bathroom and wadding up some toilet paper and bringing it back to her. She took it from him and wiped her eyes, she looked so vulnerable and broken and Joey was thrown, he usually avoided situations like this, even with Alice. Tears and over-emotional females were firmly on his list of things to be avoided, but seeing Lauren like this tore at his heart strings. He now knew her marriage wasn't a happy one and he also knew she still hadn't told him everything, he felt his heart breaking for the girl sobbing on the bed. She had been trapped in a marriage for more than 8 years, one she obviously wanted to get out of. The loss of a baby couldn't have been easy to deal with either, especially it having been at the hand of her husband. Joey wondered if Jake ever wanted the baby, if he blamed Lauren for being forced into marrying her because he was the one who got her pregnant. He thought she was the bravest girl he'd ever met, finally plucking up the courage to leave her husband and move to a place to start her life over where she knew no-one. He climbed onto the bed beside her and she turned and rolled into his arms. He wondered if she had never fallen pregnant to Jake would she be here now with him, or would their paths have never crossed? He shuddered slightly not liking the direction his thoughts were heading.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** So…Lauren's told Joey a little bit more and Jake really isn't sounding like a great guy is he? I wonder what's going to happen next…leave me a review. I will reply to all reviews from yesterday tomorrow too xx Back tomorrow.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Two**

Joey watched as Lauren finally fell asleep, her hair had fallen over her face and he reached out and tenderly brushed the tendril away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He vowed he would do whatever he could to help her leave Jake for good, whatever it cost him. He rose from the bed as carefully as he could so he didn't wake her and went into the kitchen. He poured himself another brandy and picked up his laptop as an idea came to him. An hour later he was certain he could make this work but he lacked one thing…money. He had a little saved but it wouldn't be enough for what he needed and he wanted Lauren to have some money to live on. He would need to ask someone for a loan, someone who wouldn't ask too many questions. Someone he trusted. Someone who wouldn't tell his dad anything. The more he thought about it he realised his options were limited.

He heard his bed creak and then the bathroom door close. A few minutes later his toilet flushed. He put his laptop back on the coffee table and went into the kitchen, he made them both a coffee and took it back into the lounge as Lauren came in.

'I'm really sorry…' Lauren said feeling a bit embarrassed for falling asleep.

'You have nothing to apologise to me for, Lauren' he told her honestly. 'I've made you a coffee' he gestured to the steaming cup on the table. 'Are you hungry? I could fix you something?' he offered.

'No, I feel a bit sick actually' she admitted to him 'We had fish last night…'

'You don't like fish'

'Jake's trying out recipes for the new restaurant…' she trailed off 'he knows I don't like fish, he just enjoys making me eat it' she replied and she looked down. 'He enjoys making me do a lot of things I don't like…' she trailed off.

'If you don't like it why do you eat it?' he asked her.

'Because then he doesn't get the satisfaction of force feeding it to me' she said quietly. Joey closed his eyes wishing he hadn't asked her now.

'I'll help you leave him for good' he told her

'How?' Lauren looked up at him.

'I'll figure something out' he said quietly 'I promise' he told her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey reluctantly let Lauren go home to get changed for work. He got to the club before her and spent the next twenty minutes worrying about her, wondering if Jake had got home before she did and was quizzing her on where she'd been. Ricky frowned as he saw how distracted Joey was.

'Everything okay?' he asked

'Yes. There's not enough mixers, can you go down into the basement and get some more?'

'I've already filled up the shelves'

'And I said I want more out' Joey snapped at him.

'Okay, okay, you're the boss' Ricky said with a frown as he made his way down to the basement.

Joey saw Lauren come in as Ricky returned from the basement with a couple of crates of mixers. 'Put those out' he instructed Ricky 'I need to talk with Lauren'.

'Yes sir' Ricky mock saluted him as Joey walked into the staff room and closed the door behind him.

Lauren turned towards him as he came him. 'You okay?' he asked her.

'Yes he's not back yet' she said softly. She pulled her phone out of her pocket 'I snuck my phone out of the house' she held it up to him. 'I read some of your messages, listened to the voicemails. I'm really sorry you were so worried'

'Seems I was right to be' he replied with a frown. 'Look you can move in with me' he told her.

'Won't that encroach on your nocturnal activities?' she teased him.

'I'm being serious Lauren' he told her.

'I don't want to get you involved in this, Joey' she shook her head 'you don't know what he's like'

'I can handle myself' he replied.

'I don't want you to have to handle anything. This is my problem not yours' she said 'It's my marriage…' she looked down 'I don't want to fight with you about this, please. Promise me you won't get involved' she said 'don't make me regret confiding in you or trusting you' she blinked away tears as she looked at him.

He took a breath and let it out slowly 'I'm glad you trust me, babe' he said softly 'I'll back off' he promised her.

'Thank you' she turned and looked at her reflection in the mirror on the door of her locker, brushing her fingers under her eyes.

'You look gorgeous' Joey said from behind her 'just like you always do' her eyes met his in the mirror, she gave him a sad smile and then turned to look at him as she closed the door.

'I'm sorry about the kiss' she told him.

'Sorry it happened?' he asked her 'because I'm not' he shook his head, taking a step towards her.

'I shouldn't have kissed you, I was a little drunk and I wanted…things I had no right to want' she looked down. Joey cupped her chin with his fingers and lifted her face so she was looking at him.

'Are you really sorry?' he asked her again.

'It doesn't matter because it can't go anywhere'

'Because you're married?' he questioned.

'Because I don't want to be a one night stand, Joey' she said softly shaking her head 'and you don't want more than that, you said so yourself and yes, because I'm married' she moved away from him 'It doesn't matter what I want…all you and I ever can be is friends, Joey. My life is complicated enough' she told him and walked out of the staff room leaving him standing there.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. I thought I would use this opportunity to answer a few questions.. There are 153 chapters in this story. There have been a few requests asking me to post more than a chapter a night but unfortunately I can't. I am currently writing 3 other stories and need to spend time doing that and I just can't post more than 1 or 2 chapters a night sorry. If you want a second chapter tonight… you know what to do…leave me a review**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Three**

As the night went on Ricky knew something was going on between Lauren and Joey. He didn't think they'd slept together, but he was certain their relationship had changed. The two of them kept exchanging glances and when Joey had to move behind Lauren to get to the other side of the bar, he put his hands on her shoulders and whispered something in her ear as he did so. Whatever he said to her made her blush and Joey smiled.

Then something changed after they took their break, Joey seemed to be somewhat colder towards Lauren and was flirting big time with a brunette at the bar, which okay, wasn't exactly surprising behaviour for Joey, but what was surprising was Lauren's reaction to it. She had a few cross words for Joey and she'd walked out from behind the bar and grabbed her bag and coat from the staff room and left an hour and a half before her shift was due to finish and Joey did nothing about it. Just stared after her.

Ricky wished he knew what she'd said because Joey appeared to be more than a little taken aback at her outburst and then after she had gone his flirting kicked up a notch. Clearly Joey was determined this brunette was going to be his latest conquest.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

After the club had closed, Joey led Phoebe back to his flat and he unlocked the door and let her in, kicking the door shut with his foot as he pulled her into his arms, pressing her against the wall as he kissed her.

She pushed him away from her, pushing him back against the wall behind him. She rubbed his arousal through his trousers and he closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the wall, he groaned as he felt her undoing his trousers and sliding them down his legs as she dropped to her knees, he groaned loudly as she took him into her mouth. He glanced down at the brunette head that was bobbing back and forth as she gave him a blow job and he pretended it was Lauren kneeling down in front of him, her lips wrapped around his cock. He tangled his fingers loosely into her hair and he closed his eyes again with a slow deep groan. He came quickly and loudly and without warning, causing Phoebe to choke as she struggled to swallow around him. He pulled her to her feet and looked at her, brushing her hair away from her face. His lips moved to her neck and he kissed it gently before sucking the skin. He walked her back to the bedroom and stripped her naked, pausing to grab a condom from his bedside table, easing it on his engorged cock and he plunged inside her, starting a fast relentless rhythm. She was clearly enjoying what he was doing to her, her hips were eagerly thrusting up to meet his. He pulled back to look at her and he faltered when he saw a pair of piercing blue eyes looking back at him. Up until that moment he was able to pretend it was Lauren beneath him; that it was Lauren he was fucking, he pulled out of Phoebe, turning her over so he couldn't see her face, she scrambled eagerly to her hands and knees and Joey thrust inside her again.

Minutes later he called out Lauren's name as he reached his climax. He collapsed on top of Phoebe, crushing her with his weight, and the name he'd cried out when he came. He withdrew from her and walked into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him. He started up the shower and disposed of the condom and flushed the toilet.

Phoebe lay on the bed confused and frustrated. She got to her feet and gathered up her clothes and dressed. She heard the shower stop and waited a few minutes before the bathroom door lock was undone and Joey stepped out a black towel around his waist.

'Are you still here?' he asked her.

'What the fuck was that about?' Phoebe frowned at him.

Joey blinked at her as he crossed the room, grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her to the front door. He opened it and shoved her outside, slamming the door in her face and locking it.

He turned off the lights and walked through to the kitchen. He looked in the fridge for something to drink and found some beer. He glanced out of the window and saw a silhouette in the bedroom window of Lauren's house. Jake and Lauren's house now, he amended with a frown. He wondered if it was Lauren looking over at his flat, seeing the girl he had just used leaving. He saw another figure walk into the room and up behind the shape at the window, sliding their arms around them. He took a long drink of beer as he watched the figure push the other away. He held his breath and a few moments later the lacy net curtains were pulled back away from the window and Jake was looking out, a bottle of something in his hand. He took a long drink and then closed the curtains, seconds later the room plunged into darkness.

Joey stared at the house for some time, movement downstairs caught his eye and he looked down to see Lauren sitting on the windowsill looking out. Joey sighed, he wished he could talk to her. To apologise to her for the argument they'd had in the staff room. She had to know he was only trying to help. Yes okay, she'd asked him not to get involved but he couldn't just stand by knowing how unhappy she was. It wasn't as though he'd actually done anything, he'd just made a suggestion, one Lauren clearly wasn't happy about but he'd had the best intentions. The way she'd reacted you'd have thought he'd suggested that she murder her husband and hack his body into tiny little pieces. All he suggested was they pretend to have an affair, leave some subtle clues for Jake to find and then perhaps Jake would file for divorce from Lauren under the grounds of adultery, but Lauren had hit the roof at his idea. She was literally fuming at him, shaking with rage. Things only seemed to get worse when he started flirting with the brunette and then Lauren left early. If Joey didn't know better he would say Lauren was jealous. But he knew better.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well the chapter started out with Lauren and Joey being friends and then by the end of it they'd had a blazing row and Joey's returned to form! So what's going to happen now? You'll have to wait to tomorrow to find out! Leave me a review **


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Four**

The next morning Lauren let herself out of the house, needing to go food shopping. Jake had given her a list of things to buy and the exact money to pay for it. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked towards the market. He didn't seem to care she'd been working at the club until 2:00am (well actually she walked around the square and sat at the war memorial until she was actually due to leave the club before she went home). He'd woken her up at 6:00am and she had cleaned the upstairs of the house, scrubbing the bathroom with a toothbrush. It was now 8:30am as she headed to the tube and looked up at the train times. She had 20 minutes to wait for the train. Lauren leant against the wall. She had £40 in her pocket and knew it wasn't enough to get far enough away from Jake. Raising her eyes she scanned the timetables and prices looking to see how far she could get.

'You're not going to get far' Jake said from beside her, she jumped and turned to look at him.

'What?' she tried to sound innocent.

'You left your Oyster card on the table' he said holding it out to her.

'Oh…' she took it from him 'thank you' she stared down at the card.

'I thought I'd try out the lobster recipe tonight' he said to her 'what do you think?'

'I'll get something on the way to the club' she told him, turning towards the stairs.

Jake grabbed her arm as she turned to go, pulling her roughly round to face him 'you will eat with me and you will eat what I make you' his voice was low and threatening; she could smell the alcohol on his breath.

'Have you been drinking already? It's barely 9:00am' she whispered.

'Are you going to tell me when I can and can't drink?' he hissed at her, his grip tightening on her forearm. She winced in pain.

'No. Of course not' she gasped 'Ouch…Jake please…you're hurting me' tears sprang to her eyes. He twisted her arm and she could feel the bones straining beneath his grip.

'You are my wife. You will obey me' he spat in her face. 'SAY IT' he hissed at her.

'I am your wife' she whispered fighting back the tears 'I….I …will obey you' she swallowed.

'And you better remember that' he twisted her arm a little bit more and she bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop from crying out as the bones grated together, she could taste blood in her mouth and then suddenly Jake was gone. She held her arm close to her chest and held her breath, the pain shooting through her arm was agonising. She leant against the wall for ten minutes, trying to pull herself together, breathing through the pain.

***JB*JB*JB*JB ***

Lauren was relieved to find Jake passed out on the sofa when she got back from the shops. She quietly and carefully unpacked the food and went up to the bedroom and changed her clothes. She looked at her arm, it was badly swollen and it hurt to move or even touch it. She felt her eyes fill with tears again and sat down on the bed. She contemplated taking a risk and calling or texting Joey, but she was too frightened about what Jake would do if he caught her with a mobile phone.

She stood up and crept down the stairs, scared that even the tiniest sound would rouse him from his sleep. He stirred as she opened the front door clumsily with one hand, she froze, holding her breath, squeezing her eyes shut. She waited a few more minutes before she took a chance and snuck a peek behind her, Jake was still asleep. She stepped outside and closed the door quietly behind her and she darted across the road to Joey's flat. She hammered on the door, her head swiveling back every now and then to glance at her house, the door was still shut. She hammered on the door again and she heard movement from the other side. The door opened and a bleary eyed Joey appeared. He stunk of alcohol too. She pushed against him, glancing back at her house again. Joey frowned.

'What are you doing here?' he asked her.

'Just let me in…please' she replied, her voice was shaking with unshed tears and she was trembling.

Joey stepped back, sensing her urgency and he looked across the square at her house and saw the front door start to open. He closed the door to the flat quickly and locked it. Turning to look at Lauren. She was shaking. 'What's wrong?' he asked her, concern flooded his senses. He crossed the room, his hands clasping her shoulders, 'Lauren…?' She raised her eyes to meet his and he saw the unshed tears in them, 'Sweetheart, what's happened? Talk to me' he said gently. He manoeuvred her to the sofa and sat her down on it, it was only then he noticed she was holding her right arm close to her body. He reached out and he took her arm gently in his and carefully took off her coat. He watched her face carefully and saw the pain flicker across her features as he drew her sleeve off. He looked down, Joey saw the bruises on her arm, the swelling. He knew it was broken. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat as he contemplated the pain she must be in. 'Did Jake do this?' he asked her, already knowing the answer to the question before he asked it. The tears started to fall down her cheeks. Joey put his arm around her and he kissed the top of her head. 'We need to get you to a hospital' he said quietly.

'I just need some ice and pain killers' she replied shakily.

'No. You need more than ice and painkillers' he said softly. 'You need to have an x-ray, probably a cast'

'No!' she shook her head, getting up and moving into the kitchen. She opened his freezer and took out some peas, awkwardly wrapping them in a dishcloth before placing it on her arm. She bit back a cry of pain. Joey watched from the doorway.

'Lauren, your arm is broken' he told her softly 'you have to let me take you to the hospital'

'He didn't mean to…he's drunk' she told him quietly.

'Oh and that makes it okay?' he snapped at her, she looked down and he instantly felt guilty. 'I'm sorry…I just hate the fact that he's hurt you…' he grabbed his phone off the kitchen table, Lauren listened as he ordered a taxi. 'It'll be here in ten minutes' he told her softly. 'Did he do this last night?' he asked her, she shook her head.

'This morning' she replied in a whisper 'I told him he shouldn't be drinking so early' she explained 'I shouldn't have said anything, I know he doesn't like it when I call him out on his drinking' she told him 'it's my fault' she whispered.

'No, Lauren it isn't' Joey told her softly, shaking his head 'this isn't your fault' he lifted her chin with his fingers and he looked at her. 'It's Jake's' he told her softly.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** I guess you are all enjoying TBB! So we learnt a little more about Jake and I don't know about you but I'm still not his number one fan! And how caring is Joey when Lauren goes to see him? So is Lauren's arm actually broken and what is Joey going to say if it is the case? Leave me a review… back later. **


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Five **

As Joey predicted Lauren did have a broken arm. A spiral fracture the doctor told her as he gave Joey a disapproving look. He took Lauren to one side as he put a functional brace on her arm, explaining to her that because her fracture was small a full arm plaster cast would be overkill. He tried to probe Lauren for details on how the fracture had occurred giving Lauren the impression he thought Joey had hurt her, her suspicion was confirmed when he offered her another way out of the hospital.

'I had my bag stolen at the train station, I tried to hold on to it but the guy twisted my arm and I had to let it go' she said 'my friend brought me into the hospital insisting I needed to have my arm looked at. I was happy to just put some ice on it but he thought my arm might be broken…' she trailed off.

'He was right to insist you coming here then, wasn't he?' he asked her.

Lauren nodded her head 'yes, thank you' she looked down at her arm 'can I go now?' she looked at him expectantly.

'Of course' he nodded his head.

Lauren slid off the bed and walked out the room, towards the waiting room. Joey stood up as he saw her, his worried countenance dropped away when he saw Lauren hold up her arm to him with a small smile.

'Are you okay?' he asked her as she reached him.

'I will be' she nodded her head 'the doctor said it would take 4 to 8 weeks to heal' she said to him 'and I can still work behind the bar, just means I can't clean up glasses'

'Some people will do anything to get out of the washing up' he said, throwing his arm around her shoulders as they made their way to the exit.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

The taxi pulled up outside Joey's flat and he led Lauren inside. She sat down on the sofa and picked at the brace. 'I'll make coffee' he told her and she nodded.

He thought over carefully what he was going to say to her when he returned to the lounge.

'Thank you' Lauren said softly from the door way 'for taking care of me'

'Like I keep telling you, that's what best friends are for' he replied with a smile, glancing over his shoulder at her. 'So what are you going to tell Jake when you get home?' he asked her.

'The same thing I told the doctor' Lauren replied.

'And that was?' he asked as he put the milk back in the fridge.

'That someone took my bag and I held on until they twisted my arm' she replied.

'Do you think he'll buy that?' Joey turned to look at her, leaning against the unit as he waited for the kettle to boil.

'He won't remember anything' she shrugged 'he never does when he's been drinking'

'Does he drink often?' he asked her, watching her face for her reaction.

'Sometimes' she nodded her head, looking down 'I think he may be an alcoholic' she told him 'when we go out he only drinks soft drinks…that's all he allows me to have too.'

'That he allows you to have?' he frowned at her. 'Seriously? He does know you're a grown woman with a mind of her own?'

'Don't…please' she whispered and she looked up at him, shaking her head.

'You're not happy with him' he stated 'I could help you'

'No, Joey. I don't need your help' she shook her head 'This is my marriage we're talking about here. I can't just walk away from it'

'Isn't that what you did when you came here?' he asked her.

'Jake loves me' Lauren told him raising her head to look at him 'He may not show it but he loves me' she frowned at him.

'Yeah, he loves you so much he force feeds you, controls you, takes your money and breaks your arm!' Joey snapped at her angrily.

'I should go' she told him.

'Why? Because you don't like hearing someone else telling you what you're too afraid to admit to yourself?' he asked her. 'You're the one who came here, Lauren, I didn't ask you to' he told her with an angry scowl.

She blinked at him 'That's a mistake I won't make again' she told him in a quiet voice, she turned and walked to the door and Joey sighed.

'So that's it, you're going back to him?'

'He's my husband' she said with a hint of sadness in her voice as she opened the door.

'You don't have to go yet' he said to her 'you haven't had your coffee' Lauren turned around to look at him. 'I'm sorry I just don't understand why you'd want to go back to him after he broke your arm'

'I have nowhere else to go' Lauren replied simply 'and I tried leaving him and it didn't work. I don't have another choice, Joey'

'I know' he nodded his head, 'I don't want you to think you don't have anywhere to go if you need to get away' he told her and walked to the table beside the door. He opened the drawer and pulled out a set of keys, taking one off the key ring. He held it out to her 'anytime you need to get away you can always come here' he told her softly. Lauren licked her lips as she looked at the key and took it from him.

'Thank you' she said with a smile.

'Promise me you'll use it' he looked at her, she nodded her head.

'I promise' she replied. She held his gaze and he smiled at her, reaching out to stroke her cheek with his fingers.

'Good. Now let's have those coffees' he said.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey insisted on walking Lauren back to her house after they'd finished their drinks. She fumbled with her keys trying to get them out of her right hand pocket. Joey smiled and reached into her pocket, pulling them out for her.

'Thanks' she said to him with an embarrassed smile. He handed her the keys and she was about to put them in the lock when the door opened to reveal Jake.

'Lauren, where have you been?' Jake asked looking between her and Joey. His gaze settling on Joey.

'I took her to the hospital' Joey said.

'I've broken my arm' Lauren said before Joey could say anything else. 'Someone grabbed my bag and I didn't want to let it go so they twisted my arm until I did…' she said. Jake's eyes fell to the brace on her arm.

'Why didn't call me? I would have taken you?' Jake asked her reached out to touch her arm, Joey saw her flinch away from him.

'I figured she needed to get to a hospital sooner rather than later' Joey said 'the doctor said as long as she keeps this brace on for 8 weeks she'll be okay' Joey said and he looked at Lauren 'I'd better go, are you going to be okay?' he asked her. Lauren looked up at him and nodded her head.

'Yes I'm going to be fine. Thank you' she smiled at him weakly. 'I'll see you at work later' she told him quietly. Joey nodded his head and he turned and walked away, feeling guilty for leaving her there.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. So it turned out Jake did break Lauren's arm. The doctor at the hospital was suspicious about it too and for a brief moment thought it was Joey who's injured her. Joey managed to remain civil to Jake even though I bet he really wanted to drag him outside and beat him senseless. And either Lauren was right about Jake not remembering what he'd done or he's a pretty good actor…I wonder what will happen now? If I can get 20 reviews by 9:30 you can have another chapter…. So you know what to do! **


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty six **

At the club later Ricky noticed Joey was distracted as they were setting up. Joey kept looking at the clock and then the stairs.

He frowned and he went over to him 'everything okay?' he asked Joey frowned and looked at him.

'Yeah, why wouldn't it be?' he asked him.

'You seem a little on edge mate, clock watching, staring at the stairs. Are you expecting someone?' he asked him.

'Lauren's late' Joey said to him.

'Only two minutes, give her a break' Ricky said. 'Oh look, see she's here' he said as he saw her coming down the stairs. He saw the relief on Joey's face as he saw her. She walked into the staffroom and Joey put down the glasses he was holding and went after her, shutting the door behind him.

'Are you okay? I was worried…what did Jake say? What did he do?' he bombarded her with questions.

'I'm fine and he didn't do or say anything' she told him, struggling to open her locker. Joey stepped forward and unlocked it for her.

'Are you sure you should be here?' he asked her as she put her bag inside. Lauren shut the locker door and turned to look at him.

'I'm fine Joey' she said softly. 'I went up to bed when I got back and slept for a while and Jake went out' she told him 'Look, I wanted to say thank you again, for taking care of me earlier' he smiled at her.

'You still got my key?' he asked her, she nodded her head 'I meant what I said whenever you need to get away…'

'Thank you' she replied with a gentle smile, 'for being there for me…'

He reached out and grazed her cheek lightly with his fingers 'anytime' he said softly. He took a breath as her eyes fell to his lips. 'we should get to work' he said as he leant towards her. She nodded her head, her eyes flickering shut as she felt his breath on her lips, followed by the merest of touches, she stepped closer to him and he let out a deep breath as his hand cupped her face, drawing her into another soft chaste kiss. Lauren wrapped one arm around him, sliding her fingers into his hair as she pulled him towards her for another kiss. Her lips opened and moved against his, she gave a tiny moan as he slid his free hand around her waist and pulled her towards him. She could feel the lines of his body pressed against hers and then Joey broke the kiss and she was disappointed. 'We should get to work' he whispered a little breathlessly.

'Yeah' she whispered in agreement. 'I'll just be a minute' she told him. She watched Joey leave the room and closed her eyes, leaning up against the lockers, drawing in some much needed air. All Joey had done was kiss her and her whole body felt like it was on fire. She craved more…she wasn't sure what more was but she knew she wanted it, she needed it…like she needed oxygen.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey kept a close eye on Lauren as the night went on, even though she had a broken arm it didn't seem to be hindering her in any way. He knew she was in pain, every so often she would flinch or grimace but other than that and the fact she was wearing a brace you wouldn't have known anything was wrong. He realised, rather unhappily, that Lauren was probably used to down playing when she was hurt, how much pain she was in and it made Joey wonder if she'd told him the whole truth about Jake. He wondered whether or not he'd done worse to Lauren. A feeling in the pit of his stomach told him he probably had.

He went for his break first and turned on the coffee percolator and sat down on the couch wondering if Lauren was going to pretend nothing had happened between them earlier. He'd no idea where the kiss had come from. He hadn't planned on kissing her when he walked into the staff room. He just wanted to make sure she was okay, and then he was leaning forward and his lips were on hers and before he knew what was happening, she was kissing him back. He leant his head back on the sofa and closed his eyes as he waited for coffee machine to finish. A few moments later he heard the familiar beep and he got up and poured himself a cup.

'Is there enough for two?' Lauren asked from the doorway. Joey nodded, surprised to see her there.

'Yeah, course' he reached for another cup and filled it. She closed the door behind her and walked to the fridge and grabbed the milk.

'You seem to coping well with a broken arm' Joey said

'I've had worse' she shrugged as she poured milk into the cups.

'Really?'

'I fell out of a tree I was climbing when I was 9 or 10. I broke my arm, my collar bone and three of my ribs on my left side' she explained 'I have a few scars' she told him 'my mum freaked, I hit my head too, I have a scar on my forehead' she told him and she brushed her hair away from her forehead to show Joey an inch long scar. 'I had 8 stitches' she grinned proudly.

'Climbing trees? Bit of a tomboy were you?' he asked her as they walked to the sofa and sat down.

'Yeah, I was fearless. Every time I went out to play I would come back with some sort of injury, be covered in blood. Mum wanted me to be a regular girl, stay in, play with dolls and make up' she told him 'but I wanted to play with the boys, they did more interesting stuff' she said 'and I was good at it'

'Being a boy?' he teased her.

'Hey! I was always the first one to climb to the top of the highest tree or do the most stupidest of dares' she told him 'I was pretty brave back then'

'You still are' Joey smiled at her.

'Sometimes' she replied softly 'not so much nowadays…' she trailed off.

'I'm sorry about before' he said 'the kiss' he told her, licking her lips.

'You are?' Lauren said in surprise, feeling hurt and disappointed.

'I shouldn't have kissed you like that' he explained.

'Oh' Lauren looked down into her cup, feeling her cheeks flushing.

'You've been straight with me all along about not wanting to have any sort of relationship with me, other than friendship and I crossed a line and I'm sorry. It won't happen again' Lauren nodded her head and she got up and crossed over to the cupboard, pouring some sugar into her coffee, stirring it briefly with the spoon before taking a long drink. She poured the rest down the sink, setting the cup on the side and walked to the door. She opened the door, stepping out before she turned to look at him, a small frown on her face.

'I'm not sorry' she said and Joey turned around to look at her 'that you kissed me' she told him. 'I liked it and I was kind of hoping you would do it again…' Once she'd said that she quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews… I guess you all really wanted another chapter tonight! You may not thank me for it now though! Poor Joey being worried about Lauren because she was a few minutes late. Joey realises Lauren should be in a lot of pain with a recent broken arm but he sees how well she's hiding it and it makes him think that she's got used to hiding her pain…and then at break they kissed! Joey knew he shouldn't have done it and apologised for over stepping the mark and then Lauren throws him a curveball…..What is going to happen now? You'll all have to wait until tomorrow to find out! Leave me a review. **


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Seven **

Joey stared at the closed door. He wasn't sure what he was expecting Lauren to say about the kiss, which was why he jumped in first to tell her it was a mistake. He'd thought she would have agreed with him and they would've gone back to the way things were. And then, surprising him, she'd told him she wasn't sorry it'd happened and she wanted him to do it again. If he wasn't already confused about what Lauren wanted, he was now. All the times he'd tried to make a move on her or hinted he was interested in more, she'd been crystal clear they were only ever going to be friends. Then when she'd made the first move and kissed him, her husband turned up and Joey hadn't seen her to speak to for weeks and when they did talk she'd been adamant she didn't want to be another one of his many conquests.

He thought briefly about the bet he'd make with Ricky and imagined the look on his friend's face when he discovered Joey had won the bet, Joey grinned broadly.

His grin faded as he realised he may well have ruined his chance of getting into Lauren's knickers. He considered the risks of crossing the line and ruining his friendship with her but she was a consenting adult and if she wanted to take things further with him, he wasn't going to say no.

He stood up and walked out of the staffroom and back to the bar. He could see it was busier than when he'd left and a new throng of clubbers descended the stairs, one of them wearing an L plate and veil. A hen party. Joey had lost count of the number of brides to be he'd added to his conquest list. He was their last night of freedom hook up before they spent the rest of their life being faithful to one man. He watched the hen party moving towards the bar and moved forward ready to serve them when he heard a crash of glass to his right side and cheers and jibes from some of the drunken men at the bar started to ring through the bar.

Lauren's face was bright red as she reached under the bar to get the dust pan and brush, banging her broken arm as she did so. Joey saw the pain flood her face and he rushed to her side. 'Okay let's get you into the staffroom' he said putting his arm around her shoulders.

'No, Joey. Don't make a scene' she shook her head, she turned to look at him and he saw the tears in her eyes. 'I'll just take a break' she told him shrugging his arm off. She disappeared into the staffroom.

'Ricky, go serve the hens, I'll clean this up' Joey ordered him. He glanced at the clock, it was only 10pm and they had got another four hours of the shift left and another couple of hours cleaning up time. He finished cleaning up the broken vodka bottle. He glanced at Ricky and ducked into the office and made a phone call. When he was finished Joey went back to the bar, walking over to Ricky.

'Are you going to be able to manage on your own for a bit?' Joey asked Ricky 'I want to go check on Lauren?'

'Yeah, of course. Go' he nodded his head, just as concerned about Lauren as Joey was.

'I've called Jack in to give us a hand' he added as an afterthought as he headed towards the staffroom.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren was pacing the floor when Joey came in. 'You should be sitting down' he frowned at her.

'Why? My legs aren't broken' she snapped at him.

'Have you taken a painkiller?' he asked her.

'No, they make me drowsy' she said shaking her head.

'Babe, you have to take them when you're in pain, maybe you shouldn't be at work?' he asked her.

'And what else am I supposed to do?' she frowned at him 'Stay at home with Jake?' she asked him. Joey didn't like that idea any more than she did.

'Look, I've called Jack and he's going to come in and help with the rest of the shift…'

'I'm not going home Joey. I'm perfectly fine to work the rest of the shift' she snapped at him, making her way towards the door, he caught her around the waist, stopping her.

'You don't have anything to prove' Joey said softly. 'Come here' he pulled her into his arms. 'Take the rest of the night off, I'll make sure you still get paid, don't worry about that'

'I don't want to go home…I'll wash the glasses…I can do that with one hand'

'Go back to mine' he said softly. 'I'll come as soon as Jack comes in' Lauren pulled back to look at him in surprise. 'You have the key with you?'

'Yes' she nodded her head.

'So go' he said, opening her locker door and pulling out her coat and bag. He helped her put on the coat and then handed her the bag, she fished inside and pulled out the key to his flat, Joey smiled 'I'll be there as soon as I can, make yourself at home okay?' he smiled, she nodded her head.

'Thank you' she said softly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey let himself into his flat 20 minutes after Jack arrived at the club. 'Lauren?' he called out.

He heard the toilet flush and a few minutes later Lauren walked through to the lounge, she leant against the wall. 'Hi' she said softly.

'Hi' he replied 'how do you feel?'

'Better' she replied 'what did you tell Jack?'

'That you had a headache and had gone home' he said 'I told him I had a date with a hot girl, he owes me a few favours so…' he shrugged.

Lauren nodded her head 'I should go, before your hot date arrives' she said. She crossed the room and picked up her coat from the back of the sofa, Joey took the coat from her, dropping it back in place and he turned her round to look at him.

'She's already here' he replied softly. He cupped her face in his hands and lowered his lips to hers.

Lauren moaned softly as his tongue slid over her bottom lip, she opened for him and his tongue swept inside. Before Joey she'd never been kissed like this before and she liked it.

'You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that' he whispered against her lips when the kiss ended.

'Me too' she admitted to him. 'Joey…I'm scared…'

'I know' he murmured 'You don't need to be, I'm going to take care of you' he told her softly.

'I don't want this to be a one night stand…' she blushed.

'It won't be' Joey told her softly 'things will be different with you' he whispered, almost to himself.

'If Jake ever finds out about us…' Joey silenced her with another heated kiss that left them both breathless.

'He won't, we'll be careful' he said softly.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** Well…looks like things have taken a very different turn now…although Joey's first thoughts were about getting into Lauren's nickers and winning the bet and now he is telling her she won't be a one time thing. Is he telling the truth or telling her what she needs to hear? What will happen when he gets what he wants? Will he leave her heartbroken? Is Lauren doing the right thing? Is Joey? Let me know what you think!I'm feeling generous today so I may post three more chapters for you today. But from Monday it will go back to one chapter a night! So you know what to do if you want another chapter. I have a figure of how many reviews I would like to have per chapter… if you reach it you will have another one later today…maybe even two… It's up to you! **


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

After Joey had returned to his flat from walking Lauren home, he got undressed and into bed. Joey knew he had to be careful with Lauren, he knew she wasn't like any of the other girls he'd had sex with. He had a feeling she was inexperienced and probably shy and self-conscious about her body. What she'd told him about how Jake spoke to her about her appearance gave plenty of indication about that. And as much as he'd wanted to take her to bed tonight he hadn't. She wasn't ready to take that step, not yet anyway.

He smiled as he thought about what had happened when he got back to the flat to find Lauren waiting for him. She was leant up against the doorway and he couldn't help the wave of lust that shot through his body at the sight of her. He'd felt her body trembling in his arms when he kissed her, she responded to the kiss tentatively at first and then with as much passion as him.

They'd moved to the sofa after their second kiss and talked. Lauren was afraid of Jake finding out, to be truthful if it wasn't for the fact Joey was worried about what Jake would do to Lauren he would've been more than happy to let her husband know she'd turned to another man to give her the things she clearly wasn't getting at home, even though they hadn't actually done anything more than kiss. But what a kiss it was. Joey had felt things with Lauren he'd never felt before and it threw him. More than he liked to admit if he was being honest with himself. He closed his eyes as he remembered the conversation they'd had in between kisses, remembering what he'd agreed to.

'Joey…'Lauren whispered breaking the kiss, pulling back slightly.

'Mmm?'

'What are we doing?' she asked him.

'Finally giving into what we want' he replied, drawing her back towards him for another soft gentle kiss.

'This is wrong…' Lauren pulled back again and got up. Joey sighed, watching her pace the floor with a frown on her face. As she began to rethink her actions.

'No it isn't' Joey shook his head 'you being married to man you don't love, who treats you the way he does, is wrong' he said standing up, 'you are a beautiful, sexy girl, Lauren, you should be with someone who appreciates you, who makes you feel sexy, who knows what you need'

'And's that you, is it?' she stopped pacing and looked at him.

'Yes…maybe…I think it could be' he walked over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently. 'Wouldn't you like to find out?' he asked her.

She swallowed nervously 'I've only ever been with Jake'

Joey smiled at her softly, 'I know. I remember you telling me' he told her 'We can take things slowly, we don't have to rush'

'Isn't this going against everything you normally do?' she asked him.

'Yeah, it is a little' he licked his lips,

'And what about your rules of not sleeping with a married woman, not breaking up marriages?' she asked him.

'It's not as though you're in a happy marriage though, is it, hey? And I can't break up something that's already broken, can I?' he asked her 'you wouldn't be here with me like this if you didn't want to be, would you, hey?' she shook her head 'there's something about you…' he frowned trailing off 'I just…I really like you, Lauren' he told her softly 'and you like me too, don't you?' he asked her, she nodded her head.

'Yes' she whispered, her face colouring slightly at her admission. .

'So we takes things slowly and see what happens' he told her softly 'okay?' he gazed into her eyes, she smiled slightly and nodded her head, a slight blush covering her cheeks.

'Okay' she replied as Joey closed the distance between them again.

'Okay' he whispered as his mouth closed over hers.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

That night, Lauren lay awake in the bed she shared with Jake. She smiled as her fingers touched her lips. Lips that still tingled from Joey's kisses. If his kisses were anything to go by he must be pretty good in bed she thought to herself. She felt her cheeks go red as she tried to imagine him naked. She giggled, clamping her hand over her mouth and turning to look to see if she'd woken Jake. He stirred and rolled onto his side, his back to her. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. She fancied Joey, she knew that. She'd figured that out the first time she'd laid eyes on him. He was more experienced than she was sexually. Far more experienced. Not that that would take much, to be honest. The old lady in the launderette was probably more experience than she was. But it worried her, a lot. She was worried he'd find her too inexperienced, too shy. She knew she was risking a lot letting this happen between her and Joey but she'd never felt the way he made her feel before and she was curious. She wanted to keep feeling the way she did and if that meant having an affair with Joey, then that's what she would do. She also knew it was highly possible once Joey had gotten what he wanted from her, he may not want her anymore. She frowned as she considered how she would feel if that was the outcome of this "affair." She shrugged deciding she'd cross that bridge if and when she got to it.

She took a breath and closed her eyes, her mind filled with thoughts of a certain Mr. Joseph Branning as she drifted to sleep.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey grinned to himself when he felt his cock grow hard as he thought about the things he wanted to do with Lauren. Things he hoped he'd do with Lauren. He could give her experiences she'd never even dreamed of. His hand slid over his stomach, imagining it was Lauren's, it closed around his length and he started to stroke himself slowly. He could teach Lauren exactly how to please him, and he in turn would lead her by the hand into the pleasurable world of sex.

He gripped his length tighter and stroked himself firmer, closing his eyes as his mind filled with imagined images of a very naked Lauren in various sexual positions on his bed, in his bathroom, on the floor…he imagined how it would feel to be inside her for the first time. How her very first blow job would feel like. His orgasm took him by surprise and he cried out, shooting his hot semen over his stomach and hand.

Minutes later he'd cleaned himself up and was back in bed, his eyes closing as his mind filled with thoughts of Lauren Cross.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** I guess you all wanted another chapter...So quite a few of you believe Joey's just told Lauren what she wants to hear so he can win his bet with Ricky…Joey is The Bad Boy after all. Lauren's very inexperienced with her dealings with the opposite sex…her reactions when she was thinking about Joey naked was very school girl like and yet Joey's reactions show how much more experience he has… I wonder if this is going to end well? **

**Leave me a review and if you reach the number I have in my head you will have a third and final chapter tonight.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

Lauren woke up late the next morning and after using the bathroom, she hurried down the stairs and towards the kitchen. She could smell bacon and eggs cooking and she frowned as she stepped in to the room. She found Jake at the oven.

'I'm sorry I overslept' she apologised 'I think I forgot to set the alarm'

'You didn't. I turned it off' Jake replied 'I figured you deserved to sleep in' he told her, glancing at her with a smile. 'I hope you're hungry' he gestured to the frying pan 'I'm making you breakfast'

'You are?' Lauren couldn't hide the surprise in her voice.

'Yep, you like bacon and eggs?' he asked

'I do' she nodded her head as she headed to the coffee maker.

'Uh-uh, you go and sit down I'll take care of the coffee' he told her with a smile.

'Are you sure? I don't mind'

'Of course I'm sure, I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't' Jake smiled at her again, but despite the smile she could detect a distinct tone in his voice.

'Okay, thank you' she said softly. She turned and moved back to the table, sliding into the chair. Looking down at her brace she undid the clips and took it off, the colour of the skin underneath surprised her. The bruising had come out more and her arm was covered in dark purple bruising, almost black in some places. She glanced nervously at Jake and quickly did the clips of the brace back up again.

'Right we're ready' he said as he brought a plate over to Lauren and set it down in front of her.

'Thank you, smells delicious' she said smiling up at him.

'Do you want me to cut your bacon for you?' he asked her

'Please' she nodded her head. He stood behind her, picking up her knife and fork and he started to cut the bacon, she closed her eyes as she felt him press his lips to the top of her head.

'Enjoy your breakfast, sweetheart' Jake breathed close to her ear. 'I'll make the coffee and bring the toast over'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

At lunch time, Joey finished clearing up and bottling up at the club, deciding he would do it before tonight as it meant he and Lauren could have some time alone before Ricky came in. He headed to the Vic for lunch with his dad and sister.

As he walked in he saw Lauren at a table with Jake. His steps faltered as he saw them together, Jake was talking to Lauren and she was smiling and laughing. If he didn't know better he would say they were a happily married couple. He saw his dad wave at him, Joey smiled and headed towards him.

'Joey?' Jake said standing up.

'Yeah?' Joey stopped and turned to look at him.

'I wanted to thank you again for taking care of Lauren for me, for taking her to the hospital yesterday'

'Anytime' Joey replied with a smile 'I did what anyone else would have done. I would have called you to let you know but I didn't have your number…'

Jake reached into his pocket, pulling out a business card and held it out to him 'Here. Now you do' he said.

Joey took it and looked at it, seeing the mobile number on it. 'Thanks'

'Listen, I don't know many people around here, I was wondering, maybe we could go out for a drink some time?' Jake said.

Joey blinked and looked up at him. 'Okay. That just sounded like you asked me out on a date' he said with a grin. Jake laughed shaking his head.

'It did, didn't it' he laughed in agreement 'I just meant…it would be good for me to make some friends around here' he glanced at his wife. 'Why don't you come for dinner tonight?' he asked him. 'I have some new recipes I'd like to try out and would appreciate someone's honest opinion, you could bring your girlfriend' he suggested.

Joey nodded his head 'I don't need to be at work until 8:00pm, okay, sounds good' he said 'I'm allergic to fish though…' he lied.

'Okay no fish' Jake smiled at him 'so shall we say 5:30pm?' Jake asked.

'5:30pm sounds great, can I bring anything? Wine? Beer?' Joey asked

'You just need to bring yourself and your date' Jake replied.

'Then I'll see you at 5:30pm' Joey nodded his head. 'Thanks, I'm looking forward to it already'

Lauren stared after Joey as he walked over to his dad and sister and sat down. 'What did you do that for?' Lauren frowned as Jake sat down 'he's my boss'

'He's not mine' Jake replied 'Besides, if we plan on sticking around here, I think it would be nice for me to have a few friends around here, keep an eye on you when I have to go away on business, make sure you don't do another midnight flit behind my back' he told her in a low voice.

Lauren swallowed 'I told you I wasn't going to do that again' she said quietly.

'Well I'm not going to give you the means or the opportunity to try it again' he said picking up his orange juice and taking a drink 'eat your lunch' he hissed at her.

Lauren blinked and she picked up her fork and started to eat, she hated how her hand was shaking, she hated even more that Jake could see it.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey looked up as Lauren walked through to the ladies room, he glanced over at Jake and saw he was busy with his phone and he got up and followed Lauren. He walked into the ladies and locked the door, Lauren's frightened eyes met his in the mirror. 'It's just me' he said holding his hands up.

'What are you doing here?' she asked him, her eyes darted to the cubicles, relieved to see they were empty 'Anyone could have seen you come in'

'Relax, the pub is half empty. You and Alice are the only females in the place and since she's sitting at the table with my dad we're okay' he told her.

He crossed the room as she turned around to look at him 'why did you agree to come over to dinner tonight?' she asked him.

'Why not?' he asked her 'maybe me being friends with Jake isn't such a bad thing' he told her.

'He doesn't want to be friends with you, he wants you to be his spy, to watch me when he has to go away on business, report back to him about what I get up to when he's not here' she frowned at him

'Then that will work in both our favours' he said to her 'I can report back to Jake you were as good as gold and all the while you and I are free to get down and dirty' he smiled at her.

'This isn't funny, Joey' she frowned at him shaking her head angrily 'you don't know what he's like'

'I know enough' he told her, the smile falling from his face 'I thought it would make things easier for us. If you want me to, I can call later and cancel, tell him something has come up at work and I need to go in early'

Lauren sighed, closing her eyes 'no' she frowned shaking her head, a little bit of her hating that he was right, 'he'll only find someone else to be his spy' she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

'So I'll see you tonight at 5:30pm?' he asked her, she nodded her head.

'It's not like I get a choice in it, is it?' she frowned.

'I can't wait' he told her with a smile, stepping forward and stealing a kiss before walking out of the room. He paused at the bar to get another round of drinks, Lauren walked past him on her way back to Jake 'wear something sexy for me' he whispered.

Jake looked up as she reached he table 'ready to go?' he asked her, she nodded her head. Jake helped her with her jacket and put his arm around her shoulders as they walked out of the pub.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** I guess you really wanted a third chapter today. So what did you think of this chapter? Jake was very nice and sweet to her at the start, made me question things a little. Is their marriage really as bad as Lauren makes out…and then Jake invites Joey round for dinner…I think this has disaster written all over it. You'll have to wait and see what happens tomorrow. Night all xx **


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty.**

Lauren looked at her reflection in the mirror. She wondered if she'd gone a little too dressy for tonight. She chewed on her bottom lip as she considered changing out of the little red tight fitting dress she was wearing.

Jake came into the bedroom, pausing in the doorway. 'Is that what you're wearing tonight?' he asked her.

She turned to look at him 'No. I think I'm going to change' she said to him.

'You are?' he asked her surprised. 'I knew you would look great in that dress when I brought it' he told her.

'Well that's not what you said when I wore it the first time. You called me a slut' she snapped at him without thinking. Surprise flashed in Jake's eyes at her angry retort.

'I'm sure I didn't' Jake replied.

Lauren walked to the wardrobe to look for something else to wear. She pulled out a long black shapeless dress and held it up against her looking down at herself. Jake walked up behind her, taking the black dress away from her and tossing it onto the bed. 'I want you to wear what you have on now' he told her.

'I don't feel comfortable in it' she said shaking her head.

'I said… I want you to wear what you have on now' Jake repeated, his voice a little harder than it was before.

Lauren sighed, closing her eyes. 'Why?' she asked him.

Jake grabbed her by the elbow and spun her around roughly, gripping her tightly by her upper arms, his fingers digging painfully into her flesh. She flinched as he jostled her arm and she tried to pull away from him but he yanked her again, causing her even more pain 'Because I said so' he spat into his face 'are you going to disobey me?' he asked her.

'No' she whispered shaking her head.

'Good. Because I'd hate for that broken arm of yours to take longer to heal than the doctor said it would' his voice was low and menacing, the threat was clear. He slid one hand down to her bad wrist and twisted gently. Pain shot through her arm but she swallowed her cry of pain 'now apologise for answering me back'

'I'm…I'm sorry' she whispered, her voice thick with tears.

'I didn't hear you' Jake said twisting her arm a bit more.

'I'm sorry' she said louder as the pain intensified 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' she cried out just wanting the pain to stop.

'There's a good girl' he said with a smile 'That wasn't so hard now, was it?' he asked her. Lauren shook her head as he finally let her wrist go. Her arm was throbbing painfully and two tears rolled down her cheeks. 'Oh, now you've ruined your makeup' he told her with a disappointed sigh 'go into the bathroom and fix it. I want you downstairs in the next ten minutes' he moved away from her and slammed the bedroom door shut as he left. Lauren cradled her arm against her body as she felt pain shooting up and down it. Reaching into her purse she found the painkillers and swallowed one with some water from the bathroom tap. Raising her head she looked at her reflection in the mirror and reached for a wipe. She'd better get on with it, she didn't have long.

***JB*JB*JB*JB**

Ten minutes later she made her way down the stairs and walked into the kitchen 'Is there anything I can do to help?' she asked with a shaky voice.

'Behave yourself, don't talk until you're spoken to and play the dutiful hostess' Jake told her as the doorbell rang 'Oh here they are' he said 'come and stir this' he said to her. She moved to the stove and he handed her the spoon. He held her wrist, maybe a little too tightly as he showed her how to stir. He walked to the door and smiled as he opened it.

'Right on time, Joey' Jake said opening the door, surprised to see Joey alone 'your girlfriend couldn't make it?' he asked him

'I don't have a girlfriend and my contact list isn't really full of the kind of girl you can take round to a friend's for a dinner, if you know what I mean' Joey said with a smile. 'I hope it's okay I'm solo tonight'

'Of course it is' Jake nodded 'please come on in'

Joey stepped inside 'I brought some flowers for Lauren' Joey said 'my dad always told me not to go to dinner empty handed' he said 'and I wasn't sure what to bring, I'm not a wine drinker so I wouldn't have a clue what's good or not' he shrugged sheepishly.

'I'm sure Lauren will love them' Jake said reaching for the flowers. 'They'll certainly brighten up this place a little' he smiled leading Joey into the lounge, 'make yourself at home. I'll give these to Lauren and check on dinner' he told him 'Can I get you a drink?' he asked her

'Just a soft drink please, I have to work later' Joey told him as he shrugged off his jacket. Jake took his jacket away from him and walked towards the door.

'Orange juice okay?'

'Perfect' Joey nodded his head. He glanced around the room before taking a seat on the sofa. The furniture had been moved around since he was here last. He didn't like the changes, he preferred the way Lauren had it before.

A few moments later Lauren appeared with a glass of orange juice for him. 'Thank you very much for the flowers, Joey. They're beautiful but you really shouldn't have thought you needed to bring anything' she said softly. Joey frowned, her words seemed to be scripted. 'I hope you like lamb' he noticed her hand was shaking slightly as she put the glass on the coffee table. He looked up at her, but she didn't meet his gaze. 'Excuse me I need to take over from Jake in the kitchen' she said, turning and walking out.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Throughout dinner Joey noticed Lauren was quiet, whilst Jake on the other hand was very talkative. It was as though Lauren wasn't even in the room. It made Joey uncomfortable.

'Do you want another orange juice, Joey?' Jake asked him.

'Please' Joey nodded his head

'Lauren' Jake said in an unspoken command. She slid off the chair and walked to the fridge to get more juice, returning to the table and refilling Joey and Jake's glasses. Joey noticed her glass was empty but she didn't refill it.

'Thank you' Joey smiled.

'You're welcome' she replied as she put the juice back in the fridge, before retaking her seat at the table.

Inside Joey was fuming about the way Jake was treating Lauren, but outwardly he was smiling and laughing with him. When dinner finished and they all retreated to the lounge. Lauren stood by the door. 'I need to go and get ready for work' she told Jake.

'Okay sweetheart' Jake smiled at her.

Fifteen minutes later she came back downstairs wearing a pair of black pants and a white blouse. 'Well that's my cue' Joey said seeing Lauren appear in the doorway once more. He stood up and took a breath 'thanks for dinner Jake'

'We'll have to do it again sometime' Jake replied following them both to the door. 'What time will you be home Lauren?' Jake asked her.

'A bit later than normal' Joey said before Lauren could answer 'we have a private party at the club tonight' he told him 'The bar doesn't shut until 3am, we have an extended license tonight'

'Oh, okay, I won't wait up then' he said and he moved forward, grabbing Lauren by the hand and kissing her on the lips. Joey felt his blood boiling in his veins and he stepped out of the house. 'I guess I'll see you tomorrow then. Have a good night' Jake smiled as he let Lauren go. She stepped outside.

'Night' she said quietly.

They heard the door close behind them as they headed towards the club. Once they were out of sight of the house, Lauren dragged her hand across the back of her mouth, she felt her breathing speed up and the tears she'd been holding in all night started to fall. Joey knew she wasn't fit to go to work and he was worried that accepting Jake's offer of dinner had somehow contributed to Lauren's current state.

Pulling out his phone he made three quick calls, the last one to Ricky in which he'd promised to explain what was going on as soon as he could. He frowned as he tried to figure out a way to get Lauren back to his flat without Jake seeing them.

**AN: Once again thank you for all your reviews…. SO I thought we'd have another three chapters today if you want them? If you do you know what to do and IF you reach the number of reviews that I have in my head then you shall get them! So how do you think dinner was? And Joey didn't bring a date…that's a good thing right? Or do you think he should've done? Poor Lauren at the end of it though… she hated every second of it. I wonder what's going to happen next? If you want to know leave me a review! **


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty-one**

Luckily for Joey a few minutes later a large delivery van parked outside Lauren's house blocking the window. Joey used this moment to hurry both him and Lauren across the street and into his flat. Once inside he shut the door behind them and Lauren ran into the bathroom, closing the door behind her quickly. Joey moved into the bedroom and stood outside the bathroom door, he knocked lightly on the door after a couple of minutes 'Lauren?' he called softly, 'open the door' he heard movement in the bathroom and the door opened, a tear streaked face peering out at him. 'It's okay' he whispered gently. She flung the door open and threw herself into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed against his chest. 'Sssh, it's okay, everything is going to be okay' he promised her 'I've got you' he rocked them gently. 'I'm sorry, if my being there tonight made things worse for you, you know that wasn't my intention'

'It didn't' she mumbled 'it's not your fault'

'He asked me what you said he would' Joey told her softly 'he wants me to keep an eye on you, report back to him what you do, who you do it with, where you go' he said softly 'I said I would'

'Joey…' she pulled away from him, feeling betrayed by what he'd just said to her.

'Hey, rather me than someone else' he reminded her 'besides it'll make things easier for us' he told her.

'Us?' she frowned turning to look at him 'There isn't going to be an us, Joey, it's too dangerous' she shook her head

'I won't let him hurt you' he could sense her hesitance and just wanted to reassure her.

'You're too late, he already did' she replied softly,

'What did he do?' he asked her, he knew she didn't have any bruises on her face.

'He twisted my arm' she told him 'I thought I was going to pass out from the pain' she admitted.

'I'm so sorry' he told her softly 'let me see' he walked over to her and carefully helped her take her coat off. He reached for her arm tentatively; and she watched as he cradled it gently in his hands. He undid the brace and tossed it on the floor. He led her to the bed and they sat down. 'It's not swollen any more than it was' his voice was low and quiet 'you have some pretty wicked bruising though' he glanced at her 'have you taken a painkiller?'

She nodded her head 'I had to, it hurt so much. I took it before dinner'

Joey reached for the brace and carefully put it back on her arm and she held it against her body 'Are you tired?' he asked her, she nodded her head again. He slid onto his knees and took off her shoes.

'What about the club?' Lauren asked him.

'It's taken care of, I've called in a couple of people to cover our shifts and Ricky's there, he'll keep an eye on things' he looked at her as he got to his feet. He pulled the duvet back off the bed, 'come on get under the covers' he told her

'I can't' she shook her head.

'Yes, you can. Don't worry, the bedding is clean' he replied 'Jake's not expecting you home until after 3:00am' he reminded her 'you have plenty of time' She sighed and stood up, climbing into the bed, Joey pulled the covers up over her, brushing her tears away with his fingers 'get some sleep, I'll wake you up in a couple of hours and we can talk some more' he promised her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

A couple of hours later Joey went through to the bedroom and discovered Lauren was awake. 'Hey' he said softly

'Hey' she replied.

'Do you feel better?' he said sitting down on the bed.

'Mmm' Lauren nodded her head 'thank you' she shifted in the bed and pushed herself to sit up. 'Your bed is really comfortable'

'It is?' he laughed 'that's good to know. 'What else happened today?' he asked her. She lowered her gaze but he reached out and lifted her head with his fingers 'hey, you know you can talk to me, you can tell me anything'

'I don't want to talk about it' she shook her head.

'I saw the way he treated you when I was there, as though you didn't exist, like you were his slave' Joey looked at her, she didn't reply so he decided to change the subject 'you looked very sexy in that little red dress you wore' he told her.

'I'd rather he treated me like that all the time, but he was only being like that because you were there. I knew he was going to ask you to watch me, he likes me to know he's in control. Lately, anyway' she said 'and the dress…it was what he wanted me to wear, he brought it for me about a year ago, for a party or anniversary or something' she frowned 'I can't really remember the occasion I wore it for…. he told me I looked like a slut, or something to that effect. I hadn't worn it since, I didn't feel comfortable in it. I was trying it on tonight and he saw me in it…made me wear it when I tried to change into something else. He grabbed my wrist and twisted it. He made me apologise for trying to disobey him'

'I'm sorry' Joey said softly 'I hate to think of you over at the house going through things like that…I wish you'd let me help you' he told her seriously 'We could be gone tonight'

'I don't have any clothes...I don't have any of my things'

'We can buy new clothes, new things'

'I can't leave, Joey' she shook her head sadly.

He licked his lips 'When you change your mind you know where to find me' he knew better than to try and push things.

Lauren looked at him 'why didn't you bring a date tonight?' she asked him 'your phone is probably filled with girl's phone numbers'

'It isn't' he said, pulling his phone out of his back pocket, unlocking the screen and handing it to her 'see for yourself'

Lauren blinked at Joey in surprise, taking his phone, she scrolled through the contacts and to her surprise there were only three girls name in his contacts, Sharon's, Alice's and hers. 'That's it?' she raised her eyes to look at him as she gave him his phone back.

'Yep, that's it' he nodded his head 'One night stands don't usually give you their phone number and when they do I bin it' he told her 'been there, done that' he licked his lips and put his phone on the bedside table.

'So, when you get what you want from me you'll delete my number?' she asked him.

'No' he shook his head 'I'm not sure one night with you will be enough'

'That's not what Jake says' she replied with a sigh.

'I'm not Jake and I have a feeling he's very wrong about you…about a lot of things' he told her firmly.

'I'm glad you're here, Joey' Lauren told him moving forward and hugging him.

'Me too' he replied softly

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews, I guess you wanted a second chapter tonight….do you want a third? You know what to do if you do! Poor Lauren. I'm so glad Joey was there for her. But is he again telling her what she needs to hear so he can get her into bed? Back later…maybe **


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty-two **

Joey held her gently 'Jake's going away in a couple of weeks' he told her 'Something about a meeting with some people in America for some additional funding for the new restaurant'

'He is?' Lauren said in surprise, as she pulled back to look at him.

'You didn't know?' this time it was Joey who sounded surprised.

'No. He probably won't tell me until the night before he goes. Wouldn't want me to start planning my next attempt to leave him'

'Doesn't mean that we can't' he broached the subject again.

'I don't have any money and I don't have anywhere to go. I never thought he'd even look for me in Walford, let alone find me'

'Then you go abroad' he told her.

'I can't, I don't have my passport or any other identification. Jake took my driving license away when he came here…' she trailed off and looked down.

'You can get copies…'

'And for that I need money, which I don't have' she felt her face growing red.

'What about your wages from the club?' he asked her.

'Jake takes them' she replied 'It's an impossible situation, Joey' she said softly 'but it's my problem not yours'

'Have you been to a solicitor?'

'And how would I pay for one of those?' she looked at him.

'There's legal aid' he told her

'I'm not a charity case' she frowned and looked down at her hands. 'Besides there are probably other people that need the help more than I do' she told him.

'How did you afford the rent on the house?' he frowned.

'Before here. Jake used to give me a salary and I would hide it under the floor boards…took me nearly two years to save up enough money to leave him. I used the rest of the money I had on the car. He trusted me more then. Now he doesn't because I tried to leave him'

'Have you tried talking to your mum, maybe she would help you?' he suggested, trying to come up with a solution.

'She's helped me her whole life, Joey' she shook her head sadly 'I can't ask her for more, it's time she lived her own life now' she told him as she climbed off the bed. She walked through to the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Joey got up and followed her, standing in the doorway.

'I hate seeing you so sad, it's so different from the girl I first met when you came here' he told her softly.

'I had a new life ahead of me then' Lauren replied with a sigh, she turned around to look at him. 'A world of new possibilities'

'There's still us' Joey said stepping forward. 'Are you going to let Jake take that away from you too?' he asked her, he took her uninjured hand in hers.

'You think a one night stand is going to fix things?' she looked up at him questioningly.

'Who said anything about a one night stand?' he asked her 'if that was all I was after I would've gotten you in bed already' he told her confidently 'and okay yes technically I have gotten you into my bed but you were fully clothed and asleep and alone…that by itself is completely new for me, believe me. No girl ever sleeps in my bed'

'Maybe you're losing your touch' Lauren said teasingly. He saw the spark in her eyes and smiled at her

'Maybe I am' he nodded in agreement with a short laugh 'or maybe you're immune to my charms' he added thoughtfully, teasing her right back.

'I don't think you have to worry about that. You're charm works pretty well' she replied shyly, shaking her head.

'Yeah?' he licked his lips 'how well?'

Lauren looked up at him and a slow smile spread across his face 'you are impossible' she laughed at him. She tugged on his hand and led him out of the bedroom, and back into the lounge.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Lauren and Joey were sitting on the sofa, Lauren leaning against Joey, her head resting on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her. They were watching a film on TV. It was a DVD Alice had given Joey for his birthday a few years back that he'd never got around to watching. He hadn't really thought it would be a film he'd enjoy, but now he was watching it he found he was enjoying it, although part of him wondered if it had more to do with the girl currently in his arms than anything else.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and she raised her head to look at him with a smile, picking up some popcorn and feeding it to him.

'Thank you' he kissed the tip of her fingers as she lay her head back down again. As they watched the film, they repeated this action over and over again, although Joey would take it in turns to feed her popcorn too. When the film ended Lauren stretched while Joey got up to turn off the DVD player, returning to the sofa as Lauren take a sip of wine and then put her glass down on the coffee table 'so as first dates go….?'

'Is that what this was? A first date?' she asked him as he retook his seat beside her.

'Mmhmm' he nodded his head with a smile as his eyes dropped to her lips. He edged closer to her, wondering how she would react.

'I know I haven't dated much, probably less that you...but correct me if I'm wrong here… shouldn't both parties be aware they are on a date?' she asked him with small frown.

'Traditionally yes' he conceded 'but I figured if you knew it was a date you wouldn't have been as relaxed as you were' he told her softly, 'which meant you would've been thinking about if I was going to make a move on you and try to kiss you'

'Kissing on a first date?' Lauren exclaimed in mock surprise 'I'm not that kind of girl, Joseph Branning' she batted her eyes and fanned her face with the DVD box. Joey laughed at her actions, still slowly closing the distance between them.

'Are you suggesting I'm that kind of boy?' he shot back.

'I don't know self-confessed man whore…what do you think?' Lauren retorted with a giggle at the look of mock hurt that crossed his face.

'You are so mean!' he murmured softly against her lips as he kissed her, the DVD box Lauren was still holding fell to the floor as he eased her back onto the sofa, settling over her.

Her unbroken arm wrapped around his neck and slid into the hair on the back of his head, Joey was careful to keep his weight off her, settling one of his knees between her legs and his arms either side of her head. Lauren sighed as his tongue slid into her mouth and caressed hers gently. Her fingers tightened in his hair and he gave a soft moan before breaking the kiss and pulling away from her. Lauren blinked in surprise 'what's wrong?' she whispered.

'Nothing, I figured we should go somewhere a little more comfortable' he told her with a smile as he got up and held his hand out towards her. He helped her off the sofa and led her towards the bedroom.

Lauren licked her lips and swallowed. She was nervous and excited all rolled into one.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. So as promised here is the third and final chapter tonight…It's a bit of a cliffhanger... Well Joey and Lauren had a first date…even though Lauren didn't know about it…does that still count? Jake hasn't told Lauren that he's going away yet, I think maybe Lauren was right in his reasons not to...so she couldn't run again. Is this the part where Joey has his way with her and then dumps her? I guess you will all have to wait until tomorrow….Leave me a review xxx**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty Three. **

Joey sensed her nervousness and glanced at her over his shoulder 'Relax, I'm just worried about hurting your arm if we stay on the sofa' he reassured her. They climbed onto the bed and she found she could lay her arm on the bed and not have to hold it out at an angle, which she had to admit had made it ache a little. Joey smiled down at her as he rested his hand on her waist, he moved forward slowly and kissed her again. Just a soft light kiss before he pulled away to look at her 'Are you okay?' he asked her.

'Yes' she replied with a shaky voice.

'I promise we're not going to go any further than this' he told her 'okay?' she nodded her head again. He lowered his head to hers and brushed his nose against hers, before his lips captured hers once more. After a few moments he felt her relax against him and he moved over her a little more, her fingers moving into his hair again.

Not only was Joey good looking and had a well-toned torso, he was also a pretty good kisser, not that Lauren had many experiences to compare it to, but if she had she was fairly certain he would rank as the best kisser ever. Especially since even though he was only kissing her lips her whole body was trembling and quivering with the effects of his kisses. Once again she found herself wanting more but not knowing what "more" actually was, just that she wanted it…no…she needed it. She mewled into his mouth as he moved over her like he'd been on the sofa. He let some of his weight rest on her as he kissed her deeply. A sudden thought popped into his head and he frowned, ending the kiss and pulling back a fraction of an inch to look down at Lauren.

'Have you ever had an orgasm?' he asked her. Lauren blushed bright red at Joey's deeply personal question. He could feel the heat from her face on his fingertips as he brushed them over her cheek 'I'll take that as a no then' he said softly. 'You have no idea what you've been missing out on, babe' he said softly 'Do you trust me?' he asked her.

She looked up at him and nodded, the nerves returning and increasing. Despite all that she replied 'you know I do'

'Will you trust me enough to try something?'

'What?' she chewed on her bottom lip worried about what he wanted to do, he smiled down at her.

'Something I think you'll enjoy' he replied softly 'something we both will' he stole a kiss from her, and moved to sit up, 'come here' he held his hand out to her. She hesitated for a fraction of a second before she took it, sitting up too and he guided her to straddle him so she was sitting on his legs. She frowned a little confused to what he was planning to do, it wasn't what she expected; to be truthful she wasn't really sure what she expected him to do. He leant forward and cupped her face in his hands, sliding them into her hair and he drew her forward for a kiss. She couldn't quite reach him from how far back she was on his legs, so she scooted forward slightly, hovering on her knees over him as she deepened the kiss. Joey slowly moved his hands until she realized they were on her waist, he gradually pulled her down so she was sitting on his lap. Her eyes opened wide in surprise as she felt a hardness between her thighs. Joey broke the kiss and moved his lips to her throat, biting down gently with blunt teeth. She shivered at the sensations he was creating within her. Moments later she realised he was guiding her in a slow rocking movement against him and his body was pressing against in her in such a way that was causing her to have a warm tingling feeling that seemed to start between her thighs and was slowly spreading through her body.

Joey's lips found hers again and he flipped them suddenly but carefully so she was underneath him, she gasped in surprise and he broke the kiss to look at her, giving her his full mega-watt smile 'I have some moves' he said softly. Lauren giggled.

'I'll bet' she replied.

He watched her face as he ground himself against her. She closed her eyes with a soft moan 'do you like that, baby?' he asked her quietly.

'Yes' she hissed through her teeth. 'Feels…nice' she was downplaying it slightly because it felt way more than nice.

'Hold on tight then, babe, because it's going to feel a lot more than nice' he promised her, his words echoing her thoughts. He bent his head and kissed her again, one of her hands gripped the material on the back of his shirt as he rocked against her, she could feel the heat and tingling between her legs intensify further. Joey groaned as she instinctively wrapped a leg around his waist. The tingling sensation started to grow stronger and Lauren gasped again.

'J…Joey?' she murmured as she tensed up, he could hear the fear in her voice.

'Relax Lauren, it's supposed to feel like that' he told her.

'It is?' she replied 'I …OH!' she exclaimed in surprise as he re-angled his hips and ground against her again.

'Yep' he breathed against her lips. He pulled his mouth from hers wanting to watch her face as she experienced her very first orgasm. Her breathing was rapid and her cheeks were flushed. She clung to his shirt so tightly as he continued to rock against her. He could feel his own release building but he wanted her to come first. 'You feel so good, Lauren' he whispered softly 'I am so hard for you right now…' he panted.

'OH! OH! OH!' she gasped loudly.

'That's right babe, feel it, don't fight it, let it wash over you' he whispered.

'OH! GOD! OH! JOEY! JOEY, JOEY, JOEY!' she cried out as the building pleasurable sensations washed over her like a tidal wave. She was gasping for air and her whole body was trembling in such a strange, unusual, yet equally wonderful way. Seeing her reaction to her orgasm triggered Joey's own, much to his surprise and he felt himself pulse and release into his pants.

''FUCK! LAUREN!' he shouted. She blinked in surprise at his reaction and he rested his head on her shoulder. 'Jesus, Lauren!' he gasped, trying to catch his breath.

Lauren smiled as she understood what must have happened and she felt proud of herself for eliciting that kind of response from Joey. He wasn't exactly inexperienced and she had just made him come. After a few moments she felt him kiss her neck and then her lips before he gazed down at her, seeing the surprise and amazement on her face, in her eyes.

'So…did you like that?' he questioned, a small smile on his face.

'Mmhmm' she chewed on her bottom lip, not trusting herself to speak while her breathing was still rapid.

'Me too' he said confirming her earlier suspicions, 'and believe me when I say it only gets better'

'Better than that?' she asked clearly surprised and a little doubtful as she narrowed her eyes at him.

'Much, much better' he smiled and kissed her gently.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** I am so glad you're all enjoying TBB. Lauren was a little bit anxious Joey was going to expect her to have sex with him, but he didn't. I think she was deeply mortified at his question though but left more than satisfied at the end! I bet you were all surprised that Joey didn't push her for sex! Leave me a review. Back tomorrow xx **


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty Four**

It was just past 4:00am when Lauren let herself into her house, she leant up against the door and smiled at the events which had played out at Joey's.

After he'd cleaned himself up in the bathroom, changing his pants and boxers, he returned to the bedroom and he lay down beside Lauren and gathered her into his arms. He kissed her softly. 'You're a pretty amazing girl, Lauren' he told her.

As she replayed the evening in her head Lauren walked into the kitchen and put some milk onto boil. She made herself a hot chocolate and took it into the lounge and sat down on the sofa, pulling her legs beneath her.

Joey had set an alarm on his bedside clock and they both fell asleep. Just before 4:00am he'd kissed her soundly before walking her to her house and making sure she got inside safely. She smiled at how sweet he was. For the first time since Jake found her, she felt happy.

She'd also experienced her very first orgasm…whilst being fully clothed! Which left her somewhat in awe of Joey. If he could do that without taking any of her clothes off what could he do when she was naked? And yes she was imagining Joey naked too. Lauren grinned and then giggled. She glanced at the stairs in case the noise had woken Jake, holding her breath for a few minutes but she heard no movement from him. She smiled again, taking a sip of her drink and then put it down on the table.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Jake woke up the next morning, rolling over in the bed he found Lauren's side was empty. He got up, pulling on his robe as he walked down the stairs. He peered into the lounge and found Lauren asleep on the sofa, her right arm dangling off the edge. He sighed and walked in, staring down at her. An unexpected feeling of sentimentality blossomed inside him and he pulled the blanket off the back of the sofa and covering her with it and brushing her hair away from her face gently.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey was whistling as he walked into the Minute Mart to get some milk and a paper. 'Someone's happy' he heard his father's voice from behind him.

'Mmm? Yeah I am' he nodded his head with a grin 'Hey, is Al around later?' he asked him.

'Yes, she should be' Derek nodded his head 'she has a day off today so she's having a bed day apparently'

Joey smiled 'she still has those? I thought she stopped doing those after she left school'

'Nope' Derek smiled shaking his head. 'So what's put a spring in your step?' he asked his son suspiciously.

'Can't I just be in a good mood?' Joey asked as he paid for his things and followed his dad out of the Minute Mart.

'Yes, of course' Derek nodded his head feeling guilty for thinking the worst 'fancy a coffee?'

'Yeah, if you're paying' Joey grinned at him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren woke up and groaned as she discovered she was a little stiff from spending the night on the sofa. She swung round to sit up, putting her feet in the floor. Her half-drunk hot chocolate had gone, which meant only one thing, Jake had been in the lounge and left her sleeping. This realisation was confirmed when she noticed the blanket he'd draped over her body as she slept. Taking a deep breath, she got up and walked through to the kitchen. Looking in the fridge she discovered there was no milk. Groaning she went upstairs and took a quick shower and dressed. She grabbed her purse and peered inside. She had just enough to buy herself a coffee at the café.

Lauren walked into the café and saw the prices had gone up since she'd last been in, now she didn't have enough for a coffee. She felt her face flame with embarrassment as she realised she was going to have to walk out again. Empty handed. Still in need of come coffee.

'I'll get it' Joey's voice came from behind her. She turned to look at him.

'Thank you' she said 'Can I just have a coffee please?' she asked Marie.

'Come join me and dad' Joey said to her 'Marie will you bring that over and some scrambled eggs and toast' Joey handed her some money.

'Joey…' Lauren started to protest but he took her hand and led her over to the table.

'Sit' he told her.

Lauren rolled her eyes but sat down 'been in the wars have you?' Derek asked her gesturing to her arm with his cup.

'Yeah something like that' Lauren nodded her head 'but don't worry…Joey swooped in to save the damsel in distress' Lauren replied with a smile at Joey 'it's a small fracture, should be healed in no time.' Maria brought Lauren's coffee over 'thank you' Lauren smiled at her.

'We haven't seen you at ours for a while' Derek continued.

'I've been kind of busy' Lauren told him vaguely, taking a sip of her coffee.

'Well you'll have to come round for dinner Thursday' Derek said 'I know Alice would love to see you and me for that matter' he smiled at her 'we miss you' he told her with a small pout that reminded her of Joey.

'Oh I don't know...I think Jake has plans' she said trying to think of an excuse.

'He does' Joey said 'with me, we're going up the West End to have a few drinks' he told Lauren with a wink 'So you can spend time with Alice and dad' he grinned at her.

'Sounds good to me' Lauren replied as Maria brought over her eggs and toast.

'Well that's settled then' Derek said with a smile 'on that note I best be getting to work' he said and looked at Joey 'do not annoy your sister when she's having a bed day' Derek reminded him seriously.

'I won't, I promise' Joey grinned at him 'Scouts honour'. Derek shook his head with a laugh.

'You got kicked out of the scouts after two hours' he reminded his son as left the café. Lauren looked at Joey.

'How did you manage to get kicked out of scouts in two hours?' she asked him curiously.

'I blocked the toilets with toilet paper and flooded the building' he said with a shrug. Her mouth dropped open in shock 'I don't like organised group activity' he told her with a smirk.

Lauren shook her head with a smile. 'So are you really going out with Jake?' she asked him.

'Yep, he doesn't know it yet…but it'll give you a chance to catch up with Al'

Lauren smiled at him 'thank you' she said softly taking a big mouthful of coffee.

'You don't know what I expect back in return yet' he told her seriously taking a sip of his coffee. Lauren's eyes widened and Joey chuckled 'we'll talk about it after breakfast' he winked at her.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. Lauren seems to be quite giddy with the events of last night. And Jake was nice to her again! Albeit when she was asleep, but he was sweet nonetheless. How sweet it was of Joey to but Lauren breakfast although I wonder what he wants in return!...Leave me a review **


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

Lauren followed Joey into his flat apprehensively, his words_**"You don't know what I expect back yet" **_were running over and over in her head. She closed the door behind her, a worried frown on her face.

Joey shrugged of his jacket and draped it over a chair before he walked over to Lauren. He reached for the buttons on her jacket and undid them slowly, slipping his hands inside to sit on her waist as he pulled her towards him for a kiss she was all too willing to give. He smiled at her as she eased her coat off her shoulders, draping it over his on the chair. He took her hand and led her to the sofa and they sat down.

'So I thought maybe you and I should have a little talk about things'

'What things?' Lauren asked him unnecessarily. She already knew what he wanted to talk to her about and if she was being honest she'd rather be back at the flat being force fed fish than about to be having this conversation with Joey. She folded her hands in her lap. She felt stupid for believing his lies the night before. She should've remembered the person he was…a self-centred man whore…he would never be interested in her. She folded her hands in her lap, hoping he was just quick, like pulling off a plaster.

'Well, sex mainly' he said to her. Lauren flushed, closing her eyes. 'Okay, it wasn't the conversation she'd been expecting but it was almost as bad.

'What about it?' she asked quietly. He could see Lauren had tensed up as soon as he mentioned the word sex.

'Well, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about what you have or haven't done' he told her 'Just so I know not to try something you might not like….' He left the sentence unfinished.

Okay, this conversation was so different from what she'd expected him to say. It sounded like he was really interested in more than a one night stand with her. It gave her hope that she wasn't as bad as Jake has told her. Her curiosity was piqued by his words too. 'Like what?' she gave him a sideways glance

'Okay…. For instance….Have you ever given anyone a blow job?' Joey asked her.

'No' she shook her head as the blood rushed to her face. She took a deep breath and stood up, walking to the window and peering outside. Joey got up and walked up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him, careful of her arm.

'There's no reason to be embarrassed, babe' he said his voice close to her ear. 'There's so much more to sex than just the actual act itself' he explained 'what about foreplay?' he asked her gently 'what we did last night?' he added when she didn't answer.

'No. Jake's not really into anything like that, not with me at least' she said to him softly. 'When he wants sex with me, which is rarely, it's painful and uncomfortable and over in about five minutes. I just lay there…' she trailed off and looked down 'I pretend I'm somewhere else'

'Is he always on top?' Joey asked her softly.

'Yes' she whispered.

'With you facing him?' he asked her, Lauren frowned, wondering what he meant… she nodded her head.

'So what we did yesterday…you on top was a new experience for you?' Joey asked her.

'Yes' she said again quieter this time. Joey fell quiet, thinking about how this beautiful woman he had in his arms hadn't been worshipped or desired the way she should've been, the way she deserved to be.

'Don't worry, babe. I'll show you everything there is to know' he told her softly. His lips grazed her neck gently and she felt relieved the questioning seemed to be over… For now at least. In fact the conversation had reassured her about many things.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Later that night Ricky and Lauren were behind the bar when Joey came in. You're late mate' Ricky called out as Joey ducked into the staff room.

'Yeah who says?' Joey called back.

'Me!' Ricky shouted back 'have a hot date did we?' Ricky shouted winking at Lauren.

'If you must know I fell asleep' he said as he walked into the bar. He looked around to check and to make sure they'd done everything they needed to before the club opened. 'I think we need some more spirits' he glanced at the optics. 'Ricky give me hand' Joey said heading towards the cellar.

Lauren stayed behind the bar and started to restock the plastic stirrers for drinks. The boys were laughing when they came back up to the bar. Lauren busied herself with the beer mats, picking up a new box and trying to open them one handed. Ricky cheered as she finally opened it and they flew all over the floor.

'Oh for fucks sake!' Lauren cursed loudly as she bent down to pick them up one handed.

'Ricky will do that' Joey said to her with a smile 'come with me a second'

Lauren stood up with a sigh 'thanks Ricky' she said softly, turning to look at him.

'Anytime, honey' he gave her upper arm a gentle squeeze as she moved past him.

Lauren followed Joey into the staff room and he closed the door and leant against it. 'Are you okay?' he asked her softly.

'Yes, I'm fine' she replied softly. 'What were you and Ricky laughing about?' she asked him.

'We weren't laughing about you if that's what you're thinking. Ricky knows nothing about us and he never will' he told her. 'We were laughing about Sharon. Ricky said she dropped a bottle of vodka in the club earlier and Denny was there and she let out a torrent of swearwords which Denny then repeated back to her and asked her what they meant…Ricky said he's never seen Sharon so flustered before in his life, Apparently she went bright red and scolded Denny for repeating those words and shooed him home' he told her 'Grandma Dot is babysitting him tonight, Uncle Jack's taking her out and we were laughing because knowing Denny he's going to give grandma Dot a coronary when he repeats the words he learnt this afternoon' he said with a grin.

'But what about your bet?' she asked him worriedly. 'Won't you have to tell him something about that?'

'The bet is off' he told her sincerely 'besides, he knows I don't get mixed up with married women' he told her 'what happens between you and me is private and stays between the two of us, trust me okay?' She nodded her head, letting out a relieved sigh. 'Were you worried I was going to say something?'

'Maybe, yeah' she nodded her head and she looked up at him 'I'm sorry…' she felt guilty for doubting him. It as a guilt that had been gradually increasing ever since earlier that day.

'Don't be' Joey told her 'I can understand why you thought I might. But like I said it's between you and me' he told her softly. 'We should get back to the bar before Ricky throws a hissy fit. Is your arm okay?, I mean it's not hurting?'

'It doesn't hurt' she shook her head with a smile.

'If it starts to, you tell me okay?' he told her firmly.

'Okay' she smiled at him, Joey reached out and stroked her cheek, cupping her chin with his fingers and raising her head for a quick kiss.

'I'm going to talk to Jake tomorrow about Thursday' he promised her as he led her back to the bar.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews…. I thought I would surprise you all tonight with another chapter! I wonder if Jake is going to agree to go out with Joey…if he does that who's going to be watching Lauren to make sure she doesn't get up to no good? And Joey wanted to have a sex talk with Lauren…how mortifying! But still he seems to be interested in her though despite her answers….I wonder what he's up to! Leave me a review.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty-six **

The next morning, Lauren heard a knock on the door, she climbed off the chair and walked to the door, feather duster in her hand, opening it to find Joey there.

'Hi' she said softly.

'Hi' he replied, reaching over to pull some dust from her hair with a smile. Lauren blushed as he showed it to her with a smile.

'Who is it?' Jake bellowed from upstairs.

'It's Joey' Lauren called back, gesturing for him to come him 'he's here to see you'

Joey closed the door behind him and followed Lauren into the lounge. She climbed back up onto the chair, standing on tiptoes to try to reach a dusty cobweb hanging from the ceiling.

'Let me do that' Joey said, sweeping her off the chair and setting her on her feet, he took the duster from her and climbed onto the chair, reaching the cobweb with ease. 'There. All done' he stepped down and gave her the duster back.

'Thank you' she smiled at him as they heard Jake come back down the stairs. She picked up the chair and awkwardly carried it into the kitchen.

'Joey, hey mate' Jake beamed at him as he came into the room, the two of them shook hands. 'Did Lauren offer you a drink?' he glanced towards the kitchen a frown on his face.

'She did yes' he lied 'I'm can't stay long' he told him. 'I have to pick up Alice in… five minutes' he looked at his watch. 'I came over to see if you wanted to go out for that drink Thursday night?' he asked him 'I have a rare night off and there's a club Sharon wants me to take a look at, do you fancy it?'

'Thursday?' Jake asked him 'I'm not sure' he said glancing towards the kitchen again. They both heard a loud metallic crash and Jake rolled his eyes and headed towards the kitchen, Joey followed him. 'What have you done now?' Jake glared at Lauren.

'Sorry…I hit the pile with my cast' she told him, bending down to pick up the baking trays.

'These are new' he growled at her 'If they're dented…' he snatched one of them from her and inspected it closely.

'So Thursday?' Joey pressed Jake, hoping to draw Jake's attention away from Lauren 'you'd really be doing me a favour in helping me scope out the place'

'Are you working Thursday night?' Jake asked Lauren.

'Yes. I put my rota up on the fridge like you asked' Lauren told him.

'What time do you finish?'

'The same time I normally do' Lauren replied with a sigh as she put the trays back on the side.

'So you won't mind if I go out with Joey?' he asked her.

Lauren knew he would go whether she liked it or not, she didn't understand why he was asking her for permission all of a sudden. 'No, of course not' she said shaking her head, glancing briefly at Joey.

'Well then that's settled' Jake said grinning at Joey.

'Great I'll book a taxi, pick you up at 7pm' he said to him.

'7pm? Bit early for clubbing isn't it?'

'There's a restaurant I thought you might like to see too, thought we could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.' Joey grinned at his unintentionally pun.

'Sounds like a plan' Jake nodded his head 'looking forward to it' he said leading Joey towards the door.

Lauren heard the door close and she held her breath as she heard Jake's footsteps coming back into the kitchen.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren walked into the club half an hour after it had opened. Ricky looked up and saw her glancing at Joey seeing he was busy with a drinks order. Ricky went into the staff room.

'You're late' Ricky said to her, Lauren spun round, 'Yeah I know. Sorry' she said softly 'I'll make it up after, I'll clear up on my own' she told him

'Hey I'm not the boss' Ricky said holding up his hands with a laugh 'We're pretty swamped so the sooner you get out there…'

'Got it' she nodded her head. She turned back to her locker and shrugged off her coat, she put it in her locker and shut the door. Turning round she saw Ricky was still there waiting for her. 'I'm ready' she told him.

'Hey what did you do to your head?' he caught sight of a cut and bruise just under her fringe. Lauren pulled her hair further over it.

'I'm clumsy is all' she shrugged and headed out to the bar. 'Yes, what can I get you?' she jumped right into serving so Ricky couldn't question her more. She worked through her break to make up the time she owed for being late.

Joey glanced up as he heard the sound of a glass breaking. He watched as Lauren bent down to clear it up and Joey walked over to her. 'You okay?' he asked, crouching down beside her.

'Mmhmm, it just slipped through my fingers' she said as he reached under the counter for the dustpan and brush. 'I can do this. You should help Ricky, it's getting busier' she said.

'Okay' he nodded his head and stood up, surprised to see Jake making his way to the bar. He suddenly realised why Lauren dropped the glass.

'Jake. Wondered when you were going to come in here' Joey said making his way over to him. 'What can I get you?'

'Double scotch please, mate' Jake said. Joey turned to fix him a drink and glanced down at Lauren who was busy brushing up the glass.

'Lauren not here?' Jake asked him as Joey put the drink down in front of him.

'£3.95' Joey held out his hand. Jake gave him the money 'yeah she's here just cleaning up a broken glass' he replied.

'That girl is so clumsy' Jake shook his head and looked around the club 'nice place' he said to him.

'Yeah it is, pretty busy too' Joey nodded.

'I can see why it takes so long to clean up afterwards' Jake said 'I didn't realise it would be this big, from the outside it looks smaller' he looked at Joey 'you happy here?' he asked him.

'Yeah I am' Joey nodded 'worked my way up, plus my uncle's wife owns the bar so I can pretty much do what I want so…' he said with a shrug. Lauren emptied the glass into the bin under the counter, as she stood up she somehow managed to bang her head on the edge of the bar.

'Ouch!' one off the punters said to her 'I felt that. You okay, honey?'

'Let's just say my head feels the same way yours does right now and I haven't even had a drink' she replied with a smile, he roared with laughter.

'My way is less painful' he told her.

'Except in the morning' she replied 'you are going to have one hell of a hangover' she smiled as she turned to grab him a beer and a shot of tequila. She slid them across the table to him.

'I think we're both going to have a headache in the morning, sweetheart'

'That's probably very true' she laughed with him. 'That's £5.97' she said, he handed her a £10.00 note.

'Keep the change darling, you can buy yourself some Aspirin'

'Thank you' she said. She took the money back to the till and rang the cost of the drinks in, slipping the change into her pocket instead of into her tip jar. She walked to the back of the bar and pretended she was sorting out the spirits at the back.

'Hey your old man is in' Ricky said 'seems all "buddy buddy" with Joey'

'Yeah, they are' she nodded her head as she looked at him, she glanced at her tip jar and reached for a nearly empty bottle of vodka and her tip jar. She crouched down under the counter and put the vodka bottle in the recycling bin and slid her tip jar next to it. Ricky frowned as she stood up.

'What are you doing?' he hissed at her.

'I don't want Jake to see the tip jar. I'm saving up for a present for him when he opens his new restaurant and I want it to be a surprise' she lied with a smile.

'Oh…well your secret is safe with me' Ricky grinned at her.

Lauren walked towards Joey and Jake 'Joey, is it okay if I take a break now?' she directed her question at Joey, avoiding looking at her husband.

'Yeah of course' he told her 'Can you put the coffee on? I'm due a break in 5 minutes too'

'Sure' she nodded her head.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Joey's persuaded Jake to go out Thursday night so that Lauren gets to spend some time with Alice…I wonder what the boys night out will entail? I wonder what happened to Lauren's head? Do you believe what she told Ricky? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow **


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty-seven **

Sharon and Jack walked into the club a few seconds before Joey was going on his break 'Wow, it's pretty busy here tonight' Sharon said to him, stepping behind the bar, 'Lauren not here?'

'She's taking a break. We've all worked through because it was so busy…this is the first lull we've had and I'm gagging for a coffee' Joey said to her expectantly.

'Go on then' Sharon rolled her eyes at him.

'Thanks' Joey grinned at her, 'I'll see you later, Jake' he nodded his head towards his new "friend".

'Later' Jake raised his glass. Jack slapped Joey on the back as he too slipped behind the bar to help out.

Lauren turned as Joey came into the staffroom, shutting the door behind him. 'Sharon and Jack are back, they're covering with Ricky behind the bar' he told her.

'Is Jake still there?' she asked him.

'Yes. You didn't know he was coming in?' Joey asked as she crossed the room opening her locker.

'Jake doesn't tell me what his plans are' Lauren told him. She pulled her bag out and rooted through it until she found her mobile phone and Joey's key. She put them back in her locker, putting her bag in front of them before she closed it again. Joey poured them both a coffee and carried them to the sofa. He sat down.

'Coffee's ready' he told her. Lauren shut her locker door before joining him on the sofa.

'Thanks' she said taking the cup from him 'I need this' she took a sip. 'So what did Jake want?' she looked at Joey.

'Not sure, I think he was just checking the place out, or checking up on you maybe?' he suggested.

'Yeah probably' she nodded her head in agreement. 'Is he drinking?'

'Scotch' Joey swallowed a mouthful of coffee.

'Great' she muttered under her breath.

'So do you want to tell me why you were late?' he asked her with a smirk. She gave him a sheepish look 'thought I missed that didn't you? Very sneaky entrance by the way'

'I try' she smirked back at him. 'I cut my head, I thought I should stop the bleeding before I came in' she replied. 'Less likely to scare the customers that way'

'Let me see' Joey said sitting forward and putting his coffee down.

'It's nothing, really' she said lowering her head and pulling her hair over her face.

'Yeah? Well, excuse me if I don't believe you, but you said the exact same thing about your arm which turned out to be broken' he reminded her. 'Now let me see' he said firmly. She groaned but turned in her seat and pushed her hair away from her forehead. There was a bump, a bruise and an inch long cut in the middle. It looked sore, 'how did you do that?' he asked with a frown.

'I banged it on the table in the lounge' she told him 'Let's just say I've broken more than one glass today' she offered in explanation.

'Did he do this?' Joey asked her gritting his teeth angrily 'I want you to tell me the truth'

'No. He didn't. I swear' she lied 'this one's all me'

Joey sighed, seeming to accept her explanation 'You have to be more careful' Joey told her softly, reaching forward he pressed his lips to her forehead gently and tenderly and then brushed her hair over her forehead again.

'I know, I do' she nodded her head 'I was just trying to get all the housework done before Jake got back' she lied again.

'Speaking of Jake, he's looking forward to the boys night out' he told her 'which means you get to spend time with my dad and Alice' he reminded her.

'I really appreciate you doing this for me, Joey' she said 'it really means a lot'

'Well, like I said it comes at a price' he grinned at her 'do you think you'll be able to go home late tonight?' he asked her.

'Depends how long he stays here for' she replied with a shrug 'I doubt it' she shook her head.

'I'll have to see what I can do about that then, won't I?' he smiled at her, his eyes fell to her lips and she got butterflies in her stomach.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

As the evening went on, Lauren was laughing and joking with Sharon and Jack. Jake had left an hour earlier and Lauren had begun to relax now he wasn't there watching her. Joey was mixing some cocktails, flirting big time with the group of girls who'd ordered them. Of course, said girls were flirting back and Lauren couldn't help feeling jealous, Joey looked up at her, as though he could feel her gaze burning into him and she quickly turned away. She took a mouthful of her drink and put it back on the side.

'We need some more mixers' Ricky called out.

'I'll go' Lauren said quickly before anyone else could reply. She swiped the keys off the side and rushed to the cellar.

Lauren closed the door behind her and for some inexplicable reason was overwhelmed with emotions. She felt upset. Joey had blatantly flirted with other girls in front of her. She hated how it made her feel. She sat down on a pile of boxes as the tears started to fall. She knew she was risking so much by being with Joey. Jake would almost certainly kill her if he ever thought she was contemplating having an extra marital affair…not that he'd even consider anyone would find her attractive in the slightest anyway. He was always telling her she was ugly and pathetic…so much so, she'd started to believe it herself. Not that she'd ever been that confident about herself in the first place. But spending time with Joey had started to change that a little. And now, to top it off she'd foolishly let herself believe that Joey Branning found her attractive. And now she was down in the cellar of the R&amp;R feeling sorry for herself, feeling like the sad pathetic loser her husband told her she was. She sniffed and wiped her eyes as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. No doubt Jack or Sharon had come to see what was taking her so long. She jumped off the boxes and grabbed a crate, starting to load it with a selection of mixers. The cellar door opened. 'I'm almost done, I couldn't find the crate' she called out.

'Jack sent me to down to give you a hand' Joey's voice came from behind her 'seeing as you only have one working one at the moment'

She tensed up at the sound of his voice. 'I can manage by myself' she snapped at him.

'Yeah, I know you can. We need some more vodka too though' he said 'Sharon forgot to tell you' Lauren finished filling the crate up and she pulled it to the edge of the box and looped her good arm over the top, lodging it against her hip. She couldn't pick it up and the tears fell anew. 'Hey…' Joey frowned, making his way over to her through the boxes laying on the floor. 'Hey, come here' he pushed the crate back onto the boxes and pulled her towards him. 'What's all the tears about?' he asked her.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** I wonder what explanation Lauren is going to give to Joey about why she's crying in the cellar?. Leave me a review. Back tomorrow. **


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty-eight**

Lauren sniffed, trying to pull away from Joey, but he was stronger than her and held her in place. 'Hey…come on, talk to me' he said 'why the tears, hey?'

'Just let me go, please' she sobbed struggling against him. Joey reluctantly did as she asked and she fled up the stairs into the bathroom.

Sharon frowned as she saw Lauren running through the club, Joey came up the stairs shortly afterwards, she narrowed her eyes at him. 'Joseph Branning! If you are the reason that girl is crying her eyes out in the bathroom I swear to God I will kill you! Can't you for once keep it in your pants?' she snapped at him angrily.

'I didn't do anything, Auntie Sharon I swear. She was crying when I went down there' Joey said putting the crate down on the bar.

'Don't you Auntie Sharon me!' she frowned at him 'Staffroom now!'

'But I need to…' he glanced towards the ladies room.

'I said staffroom, Joey. Now!' she raised her voice at him.

'Uh-oh someone's in trouble' his Uncle teased him in a low voice as his nephew walked past him.

Joey closed his eyes with a sigh and reluctantly followed Sharon. He closed the staffroom behind him and turned to face Sharon. 'Look, this isn't what you think it is' Joey said to her 'I'm not interested in Lauren like that. She was already crying when I went down into the cellar, I don't know what she was crying about. I swear this has nothing to do with me' he said shaking his head.

'I warned you, Joey! You know how many female employees we've lost because of you. Good staff, Joey, and all because you couldn't resist having a go at them in bed. Something you're remarkable at doing apparently. Well it stops now! Do you hear me!? I am going to be speaking to Lauren and if she leaves me thinking you have in any way sexually harassed her then you are going to find you're the one without a job this time. Am I making myself clear, Joey?'

'Yes, you're clear' Joey said nodding his head. Neither of them heard the door open.

'It's not Joey's fault' Lauren said softly 'he hasn't done anything' she shook her head. Joey turned to look at her 'I'm sorry…I didn't mean to get you into trouble' she looked at him with worried eyes.

'You didn't, babe' he replied with a smile 'I'm big enough and ugly enough to do that myself' he told her. 'Are you okay now?' She nodded her head and then shrugged.

'Do you want to talk about it?' Sharon asked her 'Is there anything I can do? Do you need some time off?'

'No, Sharon, I'm fine really' she shook her head 'I just…feel a little emotional today…time of the month' she muttered with a blush.

'Why don't you take another break? You too Joey' she said feeling guilty for yelling at him and accusing him of something he clearly didn't do. Sharon walked to the door and she opened it, pausing before she went out. 'And I'm sorry, Joey' she told him.

'Thanks' Joey said to her.

She closed the door behind her and Lauren watched Joey anxiously, waiting to see if he was going to get cross with her. She chewed on her bottom lip. 'I'm sorry…'she whispered.

'It's okay' he shook his head 'She yells at me about this on a regular basis' he shrugged at her, 'this time was long overdue. Come here' he said holding his arms open. She moved into them quickly and he rested his chin on the top of her head. 'So, are you going to tell me what brought on the tears?' he asked her. She shook her head 'No? How am I supposed to make things better if you don't tell me what upset you?' he asked her. She closed her eyes and sighed.

'I watched you with the girls at the bar' she admitted to him.

'Which girls?' he frowned pulling her to look at him.

'The one's you were making cocktails for'

'Oh_**those**_girls' Joey nodded his head. 'What about them?'

'The way they were flirting with you…the way you were flirting with them' she looked down.

'Were you jealous?' he asked her an amused expression on his face.

'If you're going to make fun of me….' she said with a frown and she pulled out of his arms and walked to the door. He caught her and turned her round, pressing her back against the door.

'I'm not making fun of you' he told her seriously. He moved forward to kiss her and she turned her head to one side, 'hey, I'm not making fun of you' he said to her softly, placing both of his hands either side of her head. 'I'm a barman, Lauren. Flirting with the punters is part of the job, you know that' he said to her. 'It doesn't mean anything unless you want it to' he looked at her. 'So were you jealous?' he asked her again.

She swallowed, closing her eyes 'yes' she admitted to him.

'Now you know how I feel when you flirt with the guys' he told her seriously. Her surprised eyes met his 'Yeah, I get jealous too' he admitted 'never did before you though…' he trailed off with a frown.

'Really?' she asked him uncertainly.

'Really' he nodded his head 'and out of you and the girls out there, who am I about to kiss?'

A small smile traced her lips 'Is it me?'

'Yes' Joey laughed gently, 'it's you' he murmured against her lips.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Thursday night came and Lauren was in the kitchen doing some ironing. Jake had insisted she wash and re-iron all his clothes after having found an imaginary stain on one of them. She knew it was his way of making sure she didn't go anywhere whilst he was out with Joey. By setting her an almost impossible task to do. So Lauren pretended to do as he asked. She'd washed a handful of shirts and was now ironing them as Jake got ready to go out with Joey. 'I want this all finished by the time I get home tonight' he told her firmly.

'I have work' she protested. 'I have to get ready in half an hour' she glanced at the clock on the wall.

'Are you answering me back?' he took a step closer to her.

'No' she said quietly 'sorry' she looked down 'It'll be finished' she promised him.

'I'm really looking forward to going out with Joey tonight. I think he and I are going to be the best of friends. I just need to make sure I can trust him around you. Make sure he won't get drawn into your pathetic little sob stories' he said, they heard a car horn outside 'Don't wait up' Jake grinned at her as he headed for the door, grabbing his keys and wallet on the way out.

Lauren grinned to herself as she finished the last shirt and put it in the linen basket, ready to take it back upstairs deciding she would have enough time to put the clothes away and get ready for dinner at Derek's.

Half an hour later her phone beeped with the text message she was expecting from Joey.

"**Have fun tonight, gorgeous" **she read with a smile.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews, I really appreciate them all and I have a lot of fun reading them and seeing what all your theory's are. Lauren inadvertently got Joey into trouble with Sharon! Jake seems to be trying to keep Lauren busy so she doesn't leave the house. He can't be suspicious of Joey because he's going to meet him…so what is he suspicious about? I wonder how the boys night out is going to go….what do you think? If you want another chapter tonight….you know what to do! Maybe back later!**


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter Thirty-nine**

Joey put two drinks on the table, double scotch for Jake and a double vodka and coke (minus the vodka) for him. Jake looked at Joey 'So, a good looking bloke like you, how come you don't have a girlfriend?' he asked him raising his glass to his lips, stopping just before he took a drink 'wait…you do go for girls don't you? I mean…you're not…you know…gay?'

Joey blinked at him for a few seconds and then burst out laughing 'No mate, I'm not gay. I'm definitely into girls' he told him 'I'm more the love 'em leave 'em type though. I've got no interest in settling down or anything like that' he said with a grimace. 'I have plenty of female company though I can tell you. The perks of working in a nightclub, fresh influx of skirt every night' he explained 'Lauren calls me a man whore, she said it was like I was turning tricks' Joey said shaking his head.

'That sounds like Lauren' Jake laughed nodding his head. 'She's a prude' he added disdainfully 'So these girls…you see them for about a week and then dump them?' Jake took a sip of his drink

'Not even that mate. I don't go back for a second dip in the well if you catch my drift' Joey told him 'I'm young, free and single and I have plenty of wild oats to sow' he grinned at him.

'So what's your type then?' Jake asked sitting back in his chair.

'Blondes mostly. Occasionally a red head if I fancy changing things up a bit'

'What about brunettes?' Jake asked casually, Joey knew he was asking him about Lauren.

'I don't go for brunettes' Joey pulled a face 'I just… they don't do anything for me' he said 'my sister is a brunette, sleeping with Lauren would be like sleeping with my sister' he said pulling a face. 'My mother was a brunette too…she walked out on us when I was a kid…' he trailed off.

'I'm sorry mate, I didn't know'

'It's not something I like to talk about' Joey told him with a frown. Jake nodded his head.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren was enjoying her evening with Derek and Alice. Derek had left Alice and Lauren alone to catch up whilst he busied himself cleaning up the kitchen and washing the dishes. He loved having Lauren around, if he could've had another daughter he hoped she would've been just like Lauren. He was pleased Alice and Lauren were getting on so well together, furthermore he hoped the two of them would build some good solid foundations for a long lasting friendship. He smiled to himself as he heard the two girls giggling in the lounge.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jake brought the next lot of drinks, Joey watched as his friend behind the bar pretended to put a double vodka shot in his glass. Jake missed it, he was busy checking his phone. Using this opportunity too, Joey pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw a couple of texts from Lauren.

The first one read:-

"**Thank you for tonight. I've missed dinners with Derek and Alice….wish you were here….." **

The second one read,

"**Text me if it's okay for me to come to yours later…"**

Joey glanced at the bar, seeing Jake was still busy on his phone, he sent her a quick text back.

"**You'd better be at mine later! I'll text when the coast is clear… "**

Jake carried the drinks back to the table and sat down again. 'So come on then' Joey said 'Sell me on married life'

Jake smiled shaking his head 'Listening to you I think you've sold me on single life' he laughed 'I'll be filing for divorce in the morning'

'Married life that bad?' Joey asked casually, picking up his drink.

'It has it's ups and downs' he said.

'You're really not selling marriage very well' Joey said sitting back in his seat.

'Hey it's not all bad' Jake said 'At first…it was pretty crappy' he admitted to him 'Getting married wasn't exactly what I planned to do at 17'

'17? Wow, that's pretty young' Joey raised his eyebrows in surprise, pretending he didn't already know the story.

'Yeah, my parents kind of made me' he told Joey 'Lauren was pregnant and my parents told me I needed to man up and do the right thing by her and it seemed to be what Lauren wanted so…' he trailed off with a shrug 'She lost the baby a few months after we married. I really dodged a bullet there. Being married to her was bad enough but kids with her too...no thank you' Jake said, Joey's initial thought was to punch Jake in the face but instead he clenched his fist under the table, plastered a smile on his face and nodded his head in agreement.

'Yeah I can't think of anything worse than getting stuck with a screaming kid' he replied taking a drink. 'So if the only reason you got married in the first place was because Lauren was pregnant…?' he trailed off.

'Why am I still married to her?' Jake finished his question, Joey nodded as Jake sighed. 'I've asked myself the exact same question so many times' he admitted 'the truth of it is…it's easy being married to Lauren' he told him 'Not to mention the tax benefits…' he grinned at Joey 'See there is a perk of being married. You pay less tax'

'Still not convinced mate' Joey laughed, shaking his head.

'Lauren does as she's told' he told him 'She's not very bright either. Lauren's pretty much a pushover. You can walk all over her and she just takes it' Jake told him. 'And you can cheat on her, give her a STD and she doesn't even bat an eyelid. Not many married men can say the same thing about their wives'

Joey's blood was boiling, he wanted nothing more than to drag this piece of scum outside and beat the living shit out of him. 'You've cheated on her?' Joey said with a frown.

'A few times yeah' Jake nodded 'You get bored sometimes with the same thing. You'd know all about that though wouldn't you? I mean you said never the same girl twice' Joey held his tongue but Jake could tell Joey wasn't impressed by his last revelation so he backtracked slightly. 'Things between me and Lauren are great now though. I'm working hard on our marriage and the hard work is paying off in the bedroom if you know what I mean' he raised his eyebrows suggestively and grinned at him. Joey smiled and took a drink knowing that Jake was lying about his sexual relationship with Lauren. 'I really appreciate you watching her for me' Jake said 'I just want to make sure she stays out of trouble'

'Are you worried she'd stray?' Joey asked surprised.

'Lauren? God no' Jake shook his head 'She doesn't have the confidence to cheat' Jake told him. 'I make sure of that'

Joey nodded his head, he knew different 'So you want me to keep an eye on her when you go out of town on business? At the club?'

'Yeah' Jake nodded 'Just make sure she stays out of trouble'

'Got it' he nodded his head 'You know what would help with that? A mobile phone. I can set it up with GPS tracking so I know where she is if she's not with me' Joey suggested to him.

'Maybe…'Jake rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he considered Joey's idea.

'I can get one' Joey said to him 'get it all set up, maybe you could give it to her?'

'Yeah, okay, that would be great… thanks' Jake grinned at him 'I can see you and me are going to get on great'

Joey smiled and nodded his head. 'Yeah, me too' he replied fighting every urge he had to punch this assholes lights out.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. Well it as nice to see the boys bonded! I think Jake feels he has a true friend in Joey which leaves Joey free to pursue Lauren and win his bet! I wonder what's going to happen when Lauren goes to Joey's later. Leave me a review. Back tomorrow **


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty**

Lauren had just left Alice's house when her mobile vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the screen and saw a text from Joey.

"**Meet you at mine in 30 mins"** she read. She checked her pockets for the key and walked to his flat, looking around to make sure no one was watching her before unlocking the door and going inside. She went into the kitchen and made herself a coffee and sat down on the sofa, picking up a car magazine to flick through whilst she waited for Joey. After 15 minutes she started getting restless. She moved back into the kitchen, looking around she saw Joey hadn't done any washing up for some time. She moved to the sink and turned on the taps. Half an hour later she'd finished and was shutting the cupboard door after putting the last plate away when she heard a key in the lock. Lauren froze, holding her breath. 'Lauren?' she heard Joey call out.

She walked through the kitchen door, pulling it closed behind her and stepped into the lounge 'Hi' she gave him a timid smile.

'Am I glad to see you?' Joey told her, 'If I had to spend one more second with your husband I swear to God I would've beaten him to within an inch of his life' he said crossing the room, 'I need a beer' he said pushing open the kitchen door. He grabbed a bottle from the fridge 'do you want ….' He trailed off as noticed his sparkling clean kitchen.

'I'd love a beer' Lauren said from behind him, he turned to look at her.

'Did you do this?' he asked her.

Lauren nodded her head, uncertain if he was angry with her 'I've been here for a while and I …I needed to keep myself busy' she told him sheepishly. 'Sorry…I know I shouldn't have…'

'No. You shouldn't have' Joey told her with a frown 'that's not why I wanted you to come over' he put the beer down on the side and slowly walked over to her.

'I'm sorry' she looked down. Joey cupped her face in his hands lifting it slightly. Lauren looked up at him in surprise as he kissed her. He pulled back when the kiss ended, his eyes were closed and he let out a deep breath. 'Joey?' she questioned 'what's wrong?' she asked him.

'Nothing' he said shaking his head 'I just…need you' he whispered as his hands moved to her waist. He guided her backwards and she felt her lower back hit something hard, she turned her head slightly to see what she'd collided with. Joey's lips moved to her neck and he picked her up and sat her on the kitchen table, pushing her legs apart so he could stand between them. He ran his hands down her arms gently, and then grabbed her wrists, being mindful of her broken arm, and raised them above her head, his hands moved to the front of her sweater and he tugged it up and over her arms before she had time to protest, leaving her in a tiny string strapped t-shirt. He moved his lips to hers and kissed her hungrily as he pushed her to lay back on the table. She gasped into his mouth when she felt the cold wood pressing against her back. His tongue plunged inside her mouth, and even though she was nervous about what he was going to do, she was also aroused and that scared her a little.

She could feel Joey's erection against her thigh as his hand slid between her legs and began to rub her through the fabric of her leggings. She groaned into his mouth. Joey broke the kiss and he picked her up suddenly. She gave a tiny shriek of surprise, he turned and sat down on a chair, placing her on his lap, his hands moved to her hips and he encouraged her to grind against him.

He groaned loudly as she rocked against him. His hands moved to her hips, pulling her down harder against him as he thrust upwards. Lauren looked at him, his eyes bore into hers and she was stunned by the emotions she saw in them. She moved forward and kissed him as she felt her orgasm building. Once Joey was satisfied with her movements on his lap he slid his hands up her back, snaking underneath her t-shirt. She felt his warm skin against hers and she shivered slightly, but not because she was cold. Lauren could feel him pushing the material of her t-shirt up as his hands moved high over her back. She wasn't sure she wanted to be half naked in front of him.

'Joey…' she whispered, he heard the uneasiness in her voice and he looked at her, drawing her into a kiss.

'Relax, baby' he murmured against her lips, his hand moved to the small of her back and he picked her up again and carried her through to the bedroom. The room was dark which Lauren was somewhat grateful for. Joey sat down on the bed with her on his lap and he peeled her t-shirt from her body, leaving her top half naked. She felt her face heat up as she blushed profusely. She didn't always wear a bra and tonight was one of those nights she'd chosen not to, but now she wished she had. She heard a rustle of clothing and she felt herself falling backwards, she grabbed Joey's shoulders and instead of making contact with his shirt as she expected, she instead touched his skin. Joey was topless too. He stood up with her again and lay her down on the bed, moving over her. He ground his lower half against her. His lips found hers again and he kissed her hungrily.

Lauren felt the faint stirrings of her orgasm reignite and she arched up against him, pressing her bare chest against his. Joey slid his hand over her stomach as he rolled to his side, pulling her with him, he slid his hand inside her leggings pressing his fingers against her through the thin material of her knickers, her orgasm rocketed through her and she screamed out his name loudly.

Joey, bent his head to kiss her shoulder, he worked her through her orgasm, removed his hands from her leggings and his hand slid over her back, pulling her closer against him.

'Touch me' Joey whispered softly. Lauren frowned in the darkness not entirely sure she knew what he meant. She ran her hand over his shoulder and down his arm, his muscles impressive and firm under her fingertips.

'I am touching you' she whispered back to him. Joey caught her wrist and placed it on his groin. He felt the tension flood her body instantly.

'I want you to make me come, like I did you' he whispered softly.

'I…I…don't know what to do' she replied feeling her facing flaming once again, relieved once more the lights were off. Joey let go of her wrist and he undid his jeans before taking her hand gently in his, placing it in the opening of his jeans.

'I'll show you baby' he whispered back, kissing her neck. He guided her hand to touch him through his boxers. Lauren could feel his hardness beneath her fingers. She'd never done anything like this before and worried she wouldn't be able to make him come just by touching him. He jerked beneath her fingers, making her jump, Joey smiled in the darkness. 'Don't worry…it doesn't bite' he grinned against her neck. 'What you are doing is great' he told her as he felt her fingers circle him, he guided her hand in a slow stroking movement. 'Perfect' he told her.

'Really?' she asked him uncertainly.

'Yes' he replied, his lips moved to her shoulder 'just keep doing that…it feels so good, Lauren' he told her, struggling for breath. She continued to stroke him and every so often she'd hear him groan softly. His hand closed over hers again and he tightened her grip on him and encouraged her to stroke him harder and faster. 'Baby...that feels so good' he murmured, his voice sounded a little strained to her ears. Minutes later she felt him pulse and throb in her hand, 'oh, God Lauren' he groaned loudly, his whole body stiffened as he jerked against her hand. A few minutes passed and he stilled her hand and linked his fingers through hers, pressing her back against the mattress. Their naked chests pressing together. He kissed her softly. 'See…perfect' he whispered against her lips.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren let herself into the house at 2:30am. Joey had woken her up fifteen minutes ago and walked her back to her house, kissing her soundly on the doorstep before he watched her go inside. She crept quietly up the stairs and into the bedroom. Jake was sprawled across both sides of the bed, which suited Lauren just fine. She made her way back down the stairs and sat down on the sofa. Smiling as she lay down, closing her eyes and falling asleep straight away. Her dreams, once again filled with Joey.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. For a moment there I thought Joey was going to try and force Lauren into something she wasn't ready for. But once again his actions surprised me. Anyone want a second chapter tonight? Well you know what to do. Leave me a review. **


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty-one**

The next morning Lauren was up before Jake. She went into the kitchen and started the coffee machine and put some bread in the toaster. She was feeling happy and her mood was higher than it had been since Jake arrived and it was all thanks to a certain sexy brown-eyed man that lived across the square.

Lauren was sitting at the kitchen table with her coffee and toast when a bleary eyed Jake came in.

'What time is it?' he asked her

'8:30am, the coffee's fresh' Lauren replied 'Did you have a good night with Joey?' she asked her husband pleasantly.

'And that's your business how?' he snapped at her as he padded barefoot across the kitchen floor and poured himself a coffee.

'I was just asking, Jake' Lauren said with a sigh, losing her appetite. She dropped her toast onto the plate. She slid off her chair and carried the cup and plate to the sink, feeling her previous high deflating rapidly.

'Oh, are you going to have an attitude with me now?' he looked at her.

'No' she said quietly.

'Now you're arguing with me?' he frowned at her. Lauren put her cup and plate on the side and she turned to walk away. She made it to the doorway before she turned back round to face him suddenly feeling a little brave.

'I don't have an attitude and I'm not arguing with you. All I did was ask you if you had a good night out with Joey, like the dutiful wife you expect me to be' she told him firmly 'Your clothes are all ironed and back in your drawers and wardrobe' she told him 'I'm going to work' she told him as she opened the door and closed it quietly behind her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren got to the club earlier than arranged with Joey, she let herself in, locking the door behind her. She scanned the club and saw Ricky had left the place in a mess. She looked around with a sigh and went into the staffroom to put on some coffee. Returning to the bar she picked up the crate and started to collect the empty glasses.

She worked tirelessly, pausing only to pour herself a coffee, taking it back into the club. She finished washing and putting the first load of glasses away and wiped down the bar. She had one more load of glasses to do and the glass washer was going to take another 15 minutes. She frowned as she noticed the till drawers weren't open as they normally were when she came in in the morning. She checked the tills and realised Ricky hadn't even bothered to empty them of last night's takings. She knew both Sharon and Joey would hit the roof if they found out. Although she hadn't been shown how to balance the tills, she'd watched Joey do it a few times so she thought she'd have a go. As she worked she contemplated her life with Jake. This morning she'd woken up so happy, excited about the future (which granted had nothing to do with Jake and had everything to do with Joey Branning) and all it took was a few cross words from Jake and she'd come crashing down from the clouds, landing back in reality with a bump. She wasn't happy in her marriage and she knew Jake couldn't possibly be happy either. So maybe if she talked to him, broached the subject of divorce again he'd be more amenable to the idea this time. They'd both be free to live their life the way they wanted to live it. They could have a fresh start whilst they were both still young enough to find someone else and have children. She wondered if Jake agreed to let her go, would her future include Joey? Or would he run a mile if she were free. Was he just using her after all? Did it really matter if it meant she could be free of Jake once and for all? She had so many questions. What she didn't have was a crystal ball. She wasn't able to see into the future to see how her great new life would turn out. But before she could even think about her future she needed to get Jake to agree to a divorce.

Joey came in just as she'd finished with both the tills and her musings. She looked down at the money she held in her hand. She was holding nearly £4k, this amount of money would be more than enough for her to disappear again in the middle of the night.

'What are you doing?' Joey asked her, seeing her with a handful of money. Joey's voice made her jump and she gave a tiny yelp of surprise.

'I…I was just balancing the tills…' she looked at him with a worried look on her face, suddenly feeling guilty for her earlier thought and also worried she was going to be in trouble.

'There shouldn't have been any money left in the tills, Ricky should've balanced up and put it in the safe before he left last night' Joey frowned at her. He heard the glass washer beep. 'Did he leave the place in a mess too?' he asked her.

'It's all cleared up now so it's fine' she said 'besides it gave me something to do whilst I was waiting for you' she told him.

Joey looked at her 'how long have you been here?' he asked.

'A few hours' she shrugged 'so do you want to put the money in the safe?' she held it out to him.

Joey took the money from her 'have you got the till receipts?' he asked her.

'Oh yeah, they're here' she told him, grabbing them off the bar and holding them out to him. 'They balance and everything' she said to him.

Joey took them with a sigh and walked to the office. Lauren walked to the glass washer and started to unload the glasses. Joey came back a few minutes later 'How come you've been here for so long?' he asked her with a frown.

'Jake was in a bad mood when he got up this morning so I came here' she said with a shrug.

'Why didn't you come over to mine?' he asked her.

'I just needed some time by myself' she said with a shrug 'so are we doing the stocktake now? I've already made a list of the drinks we need to restock behind the bar' she told him, picking up the clipboard, walking towards the cellar.

'Okay' Joey said with a confused frown.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

After twenty minutes of working in an awkward silence, Joey sighed walking over to Lauren and took the clipboard away from her. 'Are you going to tell me what's wrong or am I going to have to figure it out on my own' he asked her.

'There's nothing wrong' she said shaking her head 'I just want to get the stocktake done'

'Did Jake do something?' he asked her.

'No. Not everything is about Jake' she frowned at him.

'Then what is it? You've barely said a word to me since I got here' he told her 'is it about last night? Is it something I did?' he asked her, worried that he may have pushed her too far before she was ready.

'Joey, can we just get this done please?' she asked him taking the clipboard back from him and moving away from him. 'Look why don't you take the drinks we need upstairs and put them out and I can finish up down here'

'You can't lift the boxes….broken arm remember?' he asked her.

'You know what, fine, you can finish up down here' she slammed her clipboard down on a box and walked up the stairs, leaving Joey even more confused and completely clueless at her apparent anger at him.

'What the Hell was that about?' Joey muttered under his breath. He heard the door of the club slam shut and he ran his fingers through his hair before getting back to work.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren slammed the front door when she got in and went through to the kitchen, she grabbed some juice and poured herself a glass.

'What did you slam the door like that for?' Jake asked as he came into the kitchen.

Lauren turned around to look at him 'I thought you'd be at the restaurant'

'Yeah, well I'm still feeling a bit fragile after last night aren't I?' he replied. 'Slamming doors don't help'

'Sorry' she said.

'What's wrong?' he asked her, seeing she looked a little bit upset.

'Why does everyone keep asking me that?' she snapped at him, she closed her eyes and sighed 'sorry…' she looked down.

'Lauren?' Jake said softly 'Has something happened?' he asked her.

'Why did you come here, Jake?' she asked him 'and don't say it was just to find me' she looked at him 'I didn't take any of your money, I didn't take anything of yours' she said to him 'we're not happy together, I would've thought you would've been pleased I was gone. Give you more time to spend with your girlfriends' she said

'You're my wife' he told her as if that was the answer to everything.

'I don't have to be' she said looking up at him 'you could divorce me on the grounds of abandonment and then we will both be free to start over'

'Now Lauren…' Jake took a couple of steps closer to her.

'I'll even sign a document to say I don't want any of your money' she told him. 'Please Jake, please' she pleaded with him.

'Who has been putting fancy ideas like this in your head, hey?' he asked her, reaching out and stroking her hair gently. You know why I can't divorce you' Jake said shaking his head 'I love you'

'You don't love me' she said shaking her head 'You've never been in love with me. Getting married was a mistake. We're both miserable and we both know we could be happy if we weren't together anymore' she said her eyes filling with tears 'you don't even like me so…'

'Not like you?' Jake frowned at her 'where did you get that silly idea from?'

'The way you treat me' she said to him 'you treat me like I'm stupid, like I'm nothing, a dog gets treated better than I do' she frowned at him.

'Now Lauren, you know I only have your best interests at heart' he frowned at her 'we have a pretty good life, don't we?' he asked her.

'No Jake, we don't…I don't' she told him shaking her head 'I can't live like this anymore'

Jake sighed and closed the gap which separated them 'Look at me, honey' she raised her tear filled gaze to his, he raised his hand and tenderly brushed away some of the tears that had fallen 'Listen to me very carefully, Lauren' he told her, his voice hardening with each word. His hand fisted into her hair and yanked her head back hard causing her to yelp out in a mixture of surprise and pain 'you are my wife and I expect you to act as such. I don't give a fuck if you're unhappy' he spat at her 'you were the one who got fucking pregnant in the first place! You made your bed and now you're going to lie in it. I am only going to say this once so listen good' he yanked on her hair again and moved his face closer to hers 'I. Am. Not. Going. To. Divorce. You. Ever. Till death do us part, bitch' he spat in her face. 'Remember that' he said as his hate filled eyes burned into hers.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well Jake started the story being mean, seemingly looking to pick a fight with Lauren. So she did the sensible thing and took herself off to the club. Ricky left the place in a mess so she cleaned it up before Joey got there. I wonder why she was so off with Joey though? He's as clueless as I am!. And then she goes bac home to discover Jake is there and just when you thought he was going to be nice … he isn't. Leave me a review. Back tomorrow. **


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter Forty- Two**

Joey was hoping he and Lauren could talk at work that night and he'd get an idea as to why she was so mad at him. Because at the moment he didn't have a clue and if he was truthful it bothered him. It bothered him a lot and he wanted to clear the air between them. So when Jake phoned and told him Lauren had a migraine and wouldn't be in for work that night, Joey was put into a bad mood. Now she was avoiding him. Joey sighed, it was going to be a long shift. His bad mood was taken out on Ricky.

Joey flew at him as soon as he turned up at the club 'what the fuck do you think you were doing leaving the club like fucking pigsty last night, hey? You in such a rush to get out of here that you couldn't even be arsed to balance the tills and put the takings in the safe?' he shouted at him.

'Yes I did' Ricky replied with a frown.

'No you didn't. Lauren cleaned up the club this afternoon and balanced the tills. You told me you wanted more responsibility and this is how you fucking repay me?' Joey snapped at him 'You're lucky it wasn't Sharon who found the cash this morning or that we didn't have a break in. Because you would be out on your fucking arse! I may even still tell Sharon you're clearly a fucking unreliable little prick. You clearly can't be trusted'

'Aw come on mate… it was late and I was tired…' Ricky said, used to Joey's outbursts 'and we didn't get broken into did we? I set the alarm….'

'That's not the point and you know it. I've got a good mind to cut back on your shifts until you learn the meaning of responsibility.' Joey frowned at him angrily.

'Joey…Mate, come on…I'm sorry…it won't happen again!'

'No. It fucking well won't' Joey replied heading into the office, slamming the door behind him with a bang.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

When Lauren walked into the club at 9:00pm Joey was surprised to see her. She went into the staffroom, 'Ricky cover the bar' Joey told him, his bad mood having lifted as quickly as it came. He headed towards the staffroom. Lauren heard the door shutting as someone, she was guessing Joey, came into the room.

'I wasn't expecting you tonight' Joey told her 'Jake called and said you had a migraine'

'Did he?' she frowned as she opened her locker 'I had a headache but it wasn't a migraine' she shook her head 'I'm sorry I'm late… you can dock my pay…'

'You've already earned it and then some for the extra work you did this afternoon'

She turned to look at him. 'Can I have that as cash in hand?' she asked him quietly.

Joey's expression changed to a furious one as he saw her face 'what the fuck happened to your face?'

'Joey don't' she turned away from him as he crossed the room. He turned her around so she faced him.

'I'm going to ask you one more time and if you don't tell me the truth I'm going over to yours and I'm going to ask Jake' he told her angrily 'and I have a feeling that conversation won't be as nice as this one'

'Now you sound like him' she whispered, lowering her head, causing Joey to frown.

'So he did do this?' he asked her 'why?'

'Because I asked for a divorce' Lauren replied softly.

'You can't stay with him, you have to leave him. Tonight' he told her angrily.

'Joey, all I did was ask for a divorce and he did this. What do you think he will do if he catches me trying to leave him?' she asked him.

Joey sighed, knowing she was right 'let me see' he raised her head, cradling her chin in his fingers 'what did he do?'

'Pretended to be caring and sweet before he fisted his hand in my hair and backhanded me across the face. I hit my cheek on the corner of the cupboard' she told him. He studied her face with a frown 'Don't make a fuss, please' she murmured, tears flooding her eyes.

'Can I at least give you a hug?' he asked her. Lauren shook her head.

'Not unless you want me to cry all through the rest of my shift' she told him as her tears threatened to break the surface 'Look…just give me a second okay…I'll be through in a minute' she told him.

'Okay' he nodded his head and walked to the door, turning to give her a small smile.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

After the shift ended, Joey told Ricky to go. Ricky did as he was asked without argument for fear of Joey getting mad at him again. Joey poured a generous amount of brandy into a couple of glasses and he carried them over to a table were Lauren was seated. Lauren picked up the glass, cupping it in her hands. 'What are you going to do?' he asked her, sitting down on a stool opposite her.

'There isn't anything I can do, is there?' she said to him 'Like Jake said, I made my bed now I have to lie in it' she told him with a shrug.

Joey licked his lips 'Do you want to end things? Between us I mean?' he asked her softly. Every fibre in his body hoping to God she wasn't going to say yes.

'The answer to that question should be yes' she replied and looked up at him 'but it isn't' Lauren shook her head. 'I know what I'm doing is wrong…but I don't care' she told him, 'I like being with you Joey, I like having somewhere to escape to, someone to talk to' she paused and took a breath 'I know it sounds selfish…'

'It doesn't' Joey told her quickly 'I told you before I'm here anytime you need me and I wouldn't have given you a key to my flat as a place for you to be able to escape if I didn't want you there, would I?' he asked her softly.

Lauren smiled 'I guess not' she replied. 'Jake can never find out about us' she told Joey seriously 'Promise me he won't ever find out'

'He's not going to hear anything from me. He doesn't suspect a thing and he told me you wouldn't have the confidence to cheat. And we've been really careful so far, haven't we?' he asked her, she nodded her head again. 'And we'll continue to be careful' he promised her.

Lauren looked up at Joey as he stood up and walked over to her and sat down beside her, reaching out and brushing her bruised cheek gently with the back of his knuckles. 'I can't not do this, Joey' she whispered softly 'I want it too much…I don't even know what "that" is but I know I want it. I need it' she told him softly.

Joey smiled at her 'me too' he whispered back softly and he drew her into a soft tender kiss. 'Come on, we need to clear up the bar and then I'll walk you home' he stood up and held out his hand, she slipped hers into his.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

After they'd cleaned up, Joey poured them another brandy and they retook their seats at a table. 'You were mad with me earlier' he said to her 'was it something I did last night?' he asked her concerned.

'No' she shook her head 'it was something I was going to do' she told him 'I mean I wasn't actually going to do it, I only thought about it for a few seconds…' she looked down feeling ashamed.

'I don't understand…' Joey told her with frown 'what were you thinking about doing?' he asked her.

'I had the money…the takings from last night in my hand and I considered stealing it…I could have left and got away from Jake…I could've gone to Scotland or Wales, maybe even Ireland' she told him. 'And for a brief moment I was going to steal it until I remembered how welcoming your family has been to me. How they let a stranger into the lives and I felt guilty I'd even considered it. I was angry with myself but there was a little voice inside me telling me I could just take the money and run…be free of Jake…and then you came in and I was angry with you. I don't know why' she said shaking her head.'

'I do' Joey told her 'because I took away the opportunity for you to take the money' he said in understanding. 'Look, Lauren if you want to leave him I can take the money for tonight out of the safe, drive you to a train station the other side of London, we could stay in a BB tonight and buy you a few essentials and then you could go' he told her seriously 'I can explain things to Sharon, I can pay the money back… I can even write you a reference so you can get another job somewhere else' he trailed off as she shook her head.

'Joey…I can't let you steal money from your family… I can't let you take the blame' she told him. 'But thank you for offering though' she reached out across the table and squeezed his hand 'It means a lot to have someone care about me' she told him with a sad smile.

'I do care about you' he nodded his head in agreement 'there are a lot of people here who care about you, Lauren' he told her. 'Look, maybe if you talked to Uncle Jack…he has connections in the Police and…'

'It'll be my word against Jake's and he has the money to be able to get solicitors involved. I don't. If I go to the Police I'd just be making things worse for myself. This…' she gestured to her face with her free hand 'this is nothing not compared to what he could do. What he's threatened to do'

Joey's eyes darkened with anger 'what has he threatened to do?' he asked her.

'When I asked him for divorce he said he wasn't ever going to divorce me…he said until death us do part' she told him.

'Babe, you have to go to the Police' he pleaded with her, not liking the sound of the threat Jake had made to her.

'I can't Joey' she shook her head 'what do I tell them? All he did was quote our wedding vows to me, that's hardly a crime'

'What he's done to your face would be enough and you and I both know what he meant' he told her. 'He threatened to kill you' he said 'I'm going to call the Police' he told her. He stood up and walked towards the office. Lauren followed him, her hand covering his as he reached for the phone.

'Please?' she whispered softly. 'Joey, please'. He sighed closing his eyes and he turned round to look at her, his hands gently cupped her face.

'If he hurts you again…I won't hesitate to call the Police' he told her firmly.

'Okay, if he hurts me again' she nodded her head.

She moved into his arms, her ear resting over his heart. She could hear his heart beating softly, rhythmically, she smiled at the sound, taking comfort from it. She felt safe in Joey's arms. She felt loved. Even though she knew that was impossible, she knew Joey didn't love her. He wasn't the falling in love type, he'd admitted that fact to her when they first started to get to know each other. But she could pretend he did. She felt him kiss the top of her head and his arms tighten around her body. Yes she would pretend Joey Branning was in love with her, after all she was certain she was already in love with him.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well Poor Ricky got it in the neck from Joey, if I were him I'm avoid him at all costs. And then Jake called in sick for Lauren and Joey was worried about her and about the strangeness between them and wanted to sort things out. And Jake's got a bit handy with his fists when Lauren asked for a divorce…Joey knows she needs to get away from him before anything else happens but he can't seem to convince her too…But despite everything Lauren still wants to continue the relationship with Joey. Leave me a review. Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow **


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter Forty-three**

The next couple of weeks flew by, but unfortunately, Lauren and Joey weren't able to find very much time to be together. Jake had come into the club almost every night and waited for the club to close so he could walk his wife home. Lauren was disappointed to say the least as she hadn't had any "alone" time with Joey.

She'd almost given up any hope they would be getting to spend any time together when Jake announced one morning that his father had had a stroke and he needed to go home and check things were okay with his mother and visit his father in the hospital. Playing the dutiful wife Lauren offered to go with him, give him that extra support. Jake looked at her incredulously and told her she would just be in the way and that she knew his parents hated her and the last thing they'd want to see was her ugly face. She turned her back on him, grinning to herself, ignoring his cruel remarks because she knew this meant she and Joey could get together.

Two hours later, Jake was packed and gone and Lauren let out a sigh of relief. She waited half an hour, just to be sure Jake had really gone. She left the house, stopping at the café to get some coffees to go and a couple of pastries before she headed over to Joey's. She knocked on the door and waited for him to answer. She took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock again.

'He's not there darling' Jack said as he walked passed her. 'Doubt if he's going to be back until later'

Lauren turned to look at him 'Oh?' she said with a frown.

'Yeah, he hooked up with a leggy blonde last night…I saw him leaving with her after the club closed' he told her softly.

'Right, of course' she nodded her head, feeling her heart shatter into a million pieces 'I know his M.O' she turned to look at Jack 'I don't suppose you want a coffee and a pastry?' she offered.

'I'll tell you what, I can do you one better than that' he said to her with a smile 'how about a drink and some lunch at the Vic?' he asked her.

'That sounds great but I… I…don't have any money on me' she said 'I haven't had time to go to the bank yet' she hated how the lie fell smoothly from her lips. The truth was Jake hadn't left her any.

'And that would be a problem if I was expecting you to pay, wouldn't it?' he asked her with a smile 'Come on' he held out his hand. Lauren put the coffee and pastries down on the doorstep and she followed Jack.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

By the time Lauren got back to her house she was more than a little tipsy and she was incredibly pissed off with Joey. She shut the front door, leant up against it and pulled out the little card Jack had given her. It was the card of one of his former colleagues at the Walford Police station. One who worked in the Domestic Abuse Coordination Unit. He'd told her she would help Lauren if she needed it. She couldn't believe she hadn't realised what was going on, the questions Jack was asking her, about Jake, about her arm. He'd gone to the bar to get another drink when the penny dropped. Joey had obviously told Jack about her and Jake. She was angry. Furious at Joey. Furious he would break her confidence. She wondered what else Joey had told Jack about her. She headed into the kitchen and made herself a black coffee and took it into the lounge. She turned on the CD player and let the music fill the room.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Lauren was late to the club, having fallen asleep because of the alcohol she'd consumed at lunch. Ricky caught sight of her as she hurried into the staffroom, coming into the bar a few minutes later. Joey looked up at her, a smile on his lips and she completely blanked him, moving past him to serve a waiting customer.

As the evening went on, Joey frowned as she accepted another drink from a punter. Lauren never accepted a drink, usually the money for a soda would go into her tip jar, but she hadn't put anything it there tonight. Ricky exchanged a worried look with Joey. Joey walked over to Lauren as she was ringing up her latest drinks. 'Maybe you need to take a break' he said to her 'have some coffee' he suggested.

'I don't need a break' she replied coldly as she poured a shot of a tequila and drank it down in one. 'I'm fine'

'Getting drunk on the job is not fine' Joey frowned at her 'and I wasn't asking you to take a break I was telling you. Take a break. Now!' he instructed her.

Lauren sighed, slamming the glass down on the bar and pushing past him to stomp angrily into the staffroom. She opened her locker, taking out her bag. She found the mobile phone Joey had given her as well the as the keys to his flat. She left them on the table in the staffroom and pulled out the card Jack had given her and dropped it on top. She pulled her jacket off the hook by the lockers, looped it over her arm and walked out of the staffroom.

'Hey!' Joey called after her 'where are you going?' he frowned 'we're pretty busy in here tonight'

'Not my problem' she called back 'I quit' she told him. Joey blinked in astonishment watching her walk up the stairs and out of the club.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey and Ricky worked through the night without breaks. They were both beyond shattered and all Joey wanted to do was to go home and fall into bed. But when he'd gone into the staffroom to get his jacket, he found the "gift" Lauren had left for him. He saw the card from Jack and everything fell into place. He had to see Lauren now, he needed to explain.

'Ricky…lock up will you. Put the money in the safe and I'll clean up tomorrow' he said as he headed for the stairs.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews. Over 1000 already! **** Well the day started off okay and then Joey goes and f**ks it up again! Yes his heart was in the right place but has he inadvertently put Lauren in more danger? Is Jack going to say anything to Jake? What does this mean for her relationship with Joey? If you would like a second chapter tonight then you need to leave me a certain number of reviews before 8:30pm….GO! **


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter Forty Four**

Joey headed to Lauren's house. He knew Jake wasn't there as he'd called him to tell him he'd be away for a few days and asked Joey to keep an eye on Lauren. Instead of knocking on the door he used the set of keys Jake had given him and let himself in. He walked through the downstairs and found it empty. He headed up the stairs and heard the toilet flush in Lauren's en-suite bathroom. He stepped into the doorway of the bedroom as she came out of the en-suite. She screamed in surprise as she saw him in the doorway, her hand flying to the chest as her heart pounded rapidly in her chest.

'Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you' Joey said holding up his hands.

'How did you get in?' she asked, frowning at him.

'Jake gave me a set of keys' he admitted to her.

'Did he?' she folded her arms across her chest 'and you thought you'd use them whenever you wanted to?' she asked him.

'I think we need to talk' he said to her. 'I found the card in the staffroom'

'It's late, I'm tired and I really have nothing to say to you to right now, Joey' she told him 'I'd like you to leave' she said firmly.

'I'm not going to leave. Not until we've talked, not until you let me explain'

'There's nothing to explain. You opened your big mouth to your uncle Jack about me, about my marriage to Jake. I trusted you and you lied to me' she said with a frown. 'Now if you don't leave I'm going to call the Police'

'You'll call the Police on me but not on your husband?' Joey frowned at her 'the man who abuses you'

Lauren's eyes flashed with anger 'Get out!' she shouted at him.

'No' Joey shook his head 'Not until you've heard me out' he told her.

'I don't want to hear you out' she shook her head 'what I want is for you to get out of my house, for you to leave me alone' she spat at him.

'That's not going to happen' he told her softly 'you know I can't do that' he shook his head 'you know it's not what you really want either, not if you're being honest with yourself' he told her softly.

'You're going to tell me what I want now?' Lauren asked him incredulously. She walked towards him and grabbed his wrist, pulling him out of the room. He followed her down the stairs. She let him go and reached for the door.

'I'm sorry' Joey said softly. 'Maybe I shouldn't have spoken to Uncle Jack, but I was worried about you…I'm still worried about you' he told her 'I didn't tell him everything'

'You told him enough' she snapped at him, spinning round to look at him 'Jesus Christ, Joey, what the Hell were you thinking?'

'I was thinking about you' he replied truthfully.

'Really? What do you think is going to happen if Jake finds out you've been talking to Jack about me? What if Jack starts questioning Jake?' Lauren frowned at him. 'Have you thought about that?'

'He's not going to talk to Jake' Joey shook his head 'I just thought if you had a number you could call, if you knew you had someone you could go to…' he trailed off 'I'm just worried about you' he said repeated 'I didn't realise it was a crime'

Lauren closed her eyes with a sigh 'you have no idea how embarrassed and humiliated I was when Jack started questioning me. I felt like I was under investigation' she told him with a frown 'Like I was the one who'd done something wrong'

'Uncle Jack used to be a Police officer, that's just the way he is… Look, I'm sure Jack didn't mean to come across that way…I'll talk to him' Joey told her softly. 'I only wanted to help'

'Well you didn't' she snapped at him angrily. 'Just go home, Joey' she told him, turning and walking into the kitchen. She leant against the sink, closing her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall when she heard the front door shut. Letting out a breath she let the tears fall. Joey walked quietly into the kitchen.

'Hey' he said softly. Placing his hands on her shoulders, 'I'm sorry, babe, I'm sorry' he pressed his lips to her crown 'Sssh….don't cry' he whispered softly. 'I'm sorry' he repeated. He turned her around in his arms and she buried her face in his chest.

'I asked you to leave' she murmured against his chest.

'I'm glad I didn't' he told her truthfully. 'You can trust me Lauren, and you can trust Uncle Jack too' he promised her. 'I just wanted you to know you've got some options. Someone who can help you if things get really bad, someone who has experience in dealing with these situations…the ball is in your court, babe' he told her. Lauren sniffed and raised her head to look at him. 'I'm just trying to keep you safe' he wiped her tears away with his thumbs 'that's all I'm doing' he whispered.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Later, the two of them were curled up on the sofa together, Joey having explained about his whereabouts that day. He'd reminded her that he needed to maintain his cover story of being a player, if he suddenly stopped "seeing" girls, everyone would question him and he knew they couldn't take the risk of being found out. He told her nothing happened with the leggy blonde and he'd gone to stay with a mate the other side of London and if Lauren didn't believe him she could call him, he'd handed her his phone and Lauren shook her head, telling him she trusted him. Then they proceeded to have a heavy make out session on the sofa. She lay her head against his shoulder and he smiled as her eyes drooped. 'You should go to bed' he told her softly.

'I'm comfortable here with you' she murmured sleepily.

'Me too, babe, but I can't stay here. What if Jake comes home early and finds us like this or what if someone sees me leave in the morning…' he reminded her.

'Fine' she sighed, sitting up and climbing off the sofa. Joey smiled standing too and following her to the hallway.

'Here you better have these back too' he told her, pulling her phone and the keys to the flat out of his jacket pocket, as well as the keys to the club 'and this…just in case' he held the card out to her.

Lauren nodded and took the items from him. 'Thank you'

I'll tell you what' he said 'why don't you and I have a movie day together tomorrow?' he asked her 'We can go to the rental store and pick out any movie you want to see' he suggested 'We can have popcorn, some wine. Maybe I'll cook us a meal' he said to her.

'Sounds good' she nodded sleepily.

'Good. Then it's a date' he said, stooping down to kiss her. 'I'll see you tomorrow' he said. He stole another kiss, let himself out of the house and jogged across the square towards his flat. Unaware that he'd been seen.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. I wonder who saw Joey leave the house. I really hope it wasn't Jake, although I'm sure Joey would be able to explain why he was there so late. Did Lauren forgive Joey too easily? Should she believe him when he said that nothing happened between him and the blonde? Do you believe him? Well what did you all think of that chapter? Leave me a review, Back tomorrow. **


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter Forty five.**

Lauren arrived at Joey's at 9:30am. She let herself into his flat with a bag full of DVD's and snacks in her hand and she dropped them down next to the TV. The flat was still dark and she assumed Joey was still in bed. She rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen to make herself and Joey a cup of coffee. She carried the cups through to the bedroom and discovered she was right, Joey was still in bed, fast asleep. She put the cups down on his bedside table and walked across the room to the curtains and flung them open.

'Rise and shine Joey!' she called out loudly.

Bright sunlight filled the room and Joey groaned, covering his eyes with his arm. 'Go away Al!' he grumbled sleepily.

'Come on get up, lazybones' Lauren said 'you promised me a movie day' she said to him. Joey groaned again and grabbed a pillow, pulling it over his face, holding it in place with both his hands. 'Or you can suffocate yourself' Lauren muttered under her breath. 'Joey!' she said his name again. 'Joey! JOEY!'

Joey jumped, throwing the pillow off himself, sitting upright in bed. 'What?' he frowned, forcing his eyes open against the blinding sunlight that was cascading into his room 'Lauren?' he blinked at her 'What…what time is it?'

'It's nearly 10:00am' she said to him 'I made you some coffee' she said reaching across to pick up her cup, she sat down on his bed and he shifted slightly so he was sitting against the headboard, giving Lauren a prime view of his naked chest. She didn't know how long she'd stared at him for but when she raised her eyes to his, he was holding his cup and wearing a smirk on his face. Her face flamed scarlet and she stood up. 'You should get up' she told him 'take a shower and get dressed. I'll be waiting for you in the lounge' she told him. She could hear Joey laughing as she hurried out of the bedroom.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey came into the room half an hour later, wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a tightfitting blue t-shirt. His feet were bare and he had a bit of stubble on his face, having not bothered to shave this morning. He flopped down next to Lauren on the sofa.

'Okay so what have you brought us to watch?' he asked her reaching for the bag and peering inside 'wow…there are a lot of DVD's in here, babe' he said.

'Which is why I'm here so early' she replied to him with a smile.

'Are these all chick flicks?' he asked her.

'Yep' she nodded her head. 'You did say whatever movies I wanted' she replied.

'That's true I did' he nodded his head with a sigh 'Half of these are ones Al has tried to make me watch with her' he groaned.

Lauren grinned at him 'I know' she took the bag from him and stacked the DVD's on the floor beside the coffee table. 'So which one do you want to watch first?' she asked him, looking at him expectantly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Having sat through Bridesmaids, Lauren and Joey were now halfway through the second movie she had chosen, The Notebook, which Joey found he quite liked, not that he'd ever admit that out loud. They heard the door buzzer ring and exchanged glances.

'I'll get rid of them' he told her, getting up. She paused the film and he walked to the window and peered out, his Uncle Jack was standing on the doorstep. 'Crap' he muttered under his breath. Lauren shot him a questioning look but he'd already moved to the door.

'Stay here' he said, crossing the room. He opened the internal door and walked down the six stairs to open the external door to the flats. 'Uncle Jack? What can I do for you?' he asked him.

'Well for one thing you might want to avoid your auntie Sharon….she stopped by the club this morning and she is on the war path!'

'I know it's a mess. Ricky and I were run off our feet last night' he told him 'I'm going to sort it out later…'

'I thought Lauren was on the rota to work last night?' Jack frowned at him.

'She was and she did…for a while' Joey said to him 'and then she felt sick so she I sent her home' he lied.

Jack nodded his head 'Oh is that why I saw you sneaking out of her house in the early hours this morning?' Jack asked him.

'What? No, I wasn't sneaking' Joey said with a frown 'I went over to check and make sure she was okay, I was worried about her' he told him 'that's all'

'Yeah? That's not what it looked like from where I was standing. You strutting across the square with a huge grin on your face.' Jack sighed 'if things are as bad between her and Jake like you say, the last thing you want is to be in the middle of it' he told his nephew 'what do you think Jake is going to do if he finds out you've been sniffing around his wife?'

Joey rolled his eyes. 'I'm not sniffing around her…Please...she's not even my type' he sneered at his uncle, crossing his arms.

'Oh, you have a type now?' Jack's face was filled with amusement 'as long as she's a stunner and has a pulse, isn't that usually your type?' he reminded his nephew. 'Wait doesn't Lauren fit into both those categories?' he asked him pointedly.

'Lauren and I are friends, that's all' Joey said to his uncle, getting annoyed with his teasing. 'Is there anything else that you wanted?' he asked him.

'Just to tell you that I spoke to Lauren, like you asked me to, gave her the number of my colleague in the Domestic Abuse Coordination Unit'

'Yeah, she mentioned that. I know I asked you to talk to her but I didn't expect you to go in all guns blazing…' Joey said with a frown 'she was seriously pissed off at me and you' he told him.

'Was? Made up then have you?' he looked at his nephew with amusement.

'Yeah as a matter of fact we have, no thanks to you' he frowned at him.

'Joey, can I give you some advice? Man to man?' he asked him. Joey shrugged noncommittally. 'I know that Lauren is a gorgeous girl and the abuse that she has potentially suffered at the hands of her husband be it physical or otherwise…'

Joey interrupted him 'It's not potentially suffered. I've seen him with her, the way he speaks to her, the way he treats her…he broke her arm, Uncle Jack, he refuses to divorce her…' he frowned 'She deserves to be treated better than the way her husband treats her…'

'Alright, okay…I'm not disagreeing with you Joey. What I'm trying to say is that right now she's very vulnerable. She sees someone treating her with compassion and kindness and she could misread the situation' Jack told him 'She could become infatuated with you…see you as her saviour…her white knight'

'If that's what she needs then that's what I'll be' Joey told him, setting his jaw in the stubborn Branning way.

'Just promise me one thing' Jack asked him, knowing he wasn't going to get Joey to admit to anything or change his mind about being there for Lauren.

'What?' Joey frowned wondering what Jack wanted him to promise.

'If Jake comes after you…if this all blows up in your face…you come to me first okay? You don't go in all guns blazing because that won't help you and it certainly won't help Lauren. If Jake finds out she's seeing another man…things could go to a whole different level and it won't be the Domestic Abuse Coordination Unit that you need. It might be Homicide'

'For the last time, Uncle Jack. There is nothing going on between me and Lauren, we're friends, that's all' Joey told him with a sigh. 'Now if you don't mind I was in the middle of breakfast' Joey shut the door in his face. Jack frowned, wondering who Joey was trying to convince, Jack or himself. He sighed shaking his head as he walked away from Joey's flat, he only hoped Joey knew what he was doing.

**AN: Thank you for all the reviews! **** Well Lauren took the spending today together literally! Poor Joey was still in bed! Still I think he's enjoying the choice of DVD's Lauren has chosen for them to watch…. Oh! Uncle Jack saw Joey leave the flat…Does he believe Joey? Is Joey going to think about his warning? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow.**


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter Forty-six**

Joey slammed the door as he re-entered the flat, he wore a scowl on his face. 'Something tells me it wasn't a girl scout selling cookies at the door' Lauren said as he went into the kitchen. She frowned when he didn't reply and followed him, pausing in the doorway 'is everything okay, Joey?' she asked him softly.

'It's fine' he growled at her.

She blinked, his whole mood had changed since he spoke to the visitor at the door.

'Okay' she said softly and she turned and went back to the lounge. She was packing up the DVD's when Joey came back into the room.

'What are you doing?' he asked her with a confused frown.

'I just…' she turned to look at him, the bag clutched tightly in her hands 'I thought I should go'

'Go? Why? I thought we were watching movies?' he asked her, Lauren nodded her head.

'We were' she replied 'I…I just figured I should…go' she licked her lips. She swallowed as Joey moved towards her taking the bag out of her hands and setting it down on the table.

'You don't want to watch movies anymore?' he asked her curiously.

'No, I mean, yes, I do' she said 'you just seemed a little…pissed off with whoever was at the door and I figured you wanted to be alone' she told him.

Joey nodded his head 'I don't want to be alone' he told her 'I want to be alone with you' he said with a smile. He reached out and stroked her cheek gently before capturing her chin with his fingers and raising her head. He kissed her softly 'but, I need to go clear up the club, Ricky and I left it in a mess and Uncle Jack warned me that Sharon was on the warpath'

'Is that who was at the door? Jack?' she asked him.

'Yeah' he replied 'giving me the heads up' he ran his hand over his face.

'I could help?' she offered 'I mean if I hadn't walked out during the shift we would've cleaned up before we went home'

'You don't have to do that' Joey said shaking his head 'you stay here, make yourself at home and I'll be back as soon as I can' he said kissing her again.

'Okay' she whispered softly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey had been working tirelessly in the club for an hour and he still had a lot of clearing up to do. As he looked around at what he still needed to do, he wished he'd taken up Lauren's offer of help. For one thing they would be spending time together. Secondly, the work would've been finished a lot quicker and thirdly, they would be able to go back to the flat quicker and do other things together. He glanced around at the club again with a sigh, at this rate he would be still be here in four hours and Lauren would probably have got sick of waiting for him and gone home.

He heard the door to the club open and close as he filled the glass washer up for the third time. He heard footsteps down the stairs and braced himself for Sharon's tirade for leaving the club in such a mess last night. He took a deep breath 'Look, I know what you're going to say…' he trailed off when he saw Lauren.

'I didn't know you were a mind reader too, Joey' Lauren said with a smile.

'I thought you were Sharon' he said 'what are you doing here?' he asked her, smiling back at her, he wiped his hands on the towel and turned to face her.

'I was bored' Lauren shrugged 'thought I'd come and see what's taking you so long…wow this place is a mess' she whistled as she looked around. 'No wonder you've been ages' she said to him. 'Oh you need milk by the way' she told him as she walked behind the bar and grabbed a cloth.

'Do I?' he asked her with an amused expression on his face.

'Mmhmm' she nodded her head 'and you're out of cornflakes too' she added 'and those little marshmallow chocolate thingies you have….had in the cupboard' she corrected 'you have none of those left either'

'Made yourself at home did you?' he asked her with a grin. The thought of having her being in his flat made the grin grow even more but he tried to hide it.

Yep, like you said I should. I even went through all your drawers…snooping' she told him.

'Find anything interesting?' he asked, walking up behind her and slipping his arms around her waist.

'A few bits and pieces' she teased him 'your TV license is due to expire next month but that's about it' she giggled as she felt Joey's lips nuzzle her neck.

'You really have been snooping' he said a little shocked and amused.

'Leave a curious girl all alone in big empty flat and snooping is sort of inevitable' she told him. 'I also went through your sock drawer' she said 'you can tell a lot about a man by his socks'

'Oh is that right?' Joey kissed her neck 'and what's that'

'The size of his feet' she giggled.

'And you know what they else they say…?' he whispered in her ear 'Big feet…big….' He ground his groin into her bottom, letting her feel his erection.

'Joey!' Lauren exclaimed and then giggled, she turned around in his arms and he could see her cheeks were pink.

'Hey, I'm just saying, that's all' he smiled at her as he moved his hands to the small of her back, drawing her towards him for a kiss, Lauren slid her hands up his chest and looped them behind his neck. His tongue tasted her top lip and she opened her mouth for him. As he kissed her, his hands slid to her bottom and he squeezed it gently. She mewled into his mouth, his actions making her jump and she inadvertently pressed their lower halves closer together.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

As their kisses grew more intense, Joey picked her up and sat her on the bar, she wrapped her legs around his waist as they kissed each other hungrily. Joey was too wrapped up in Lauren to hear the club door open and close again, or the footsteps coming down the stairs. Joey broke the kiss and moved his lips to her neck, whilst one hand crept to her breast and he caressed her gently through her t-shirt. Suddenly Joey felt himself being pushed away, he looked at Lauren in confusion as she jumped down off the bar, catching a glass with her hand, it shattered when it hit the floor. 'Breaking my glasses instead of washing them hey, Joey?' he heard Sharon's voice. Lauren shot him a worried look before she moved to the glass washer as it beeped.

'Yeah, sorry, Sharon' Joey said, glancing down at his groin, thankful he had put loose fitting sweatpants on, as they were currently doing a great job of hiding his erection. He glanced at Lauren and nodded his head at the broken glass, she rolled her eyes and bent down to pick it up just as Sharon and Jack came round their side of the bar.

'So what happened here last night?' she asked him 'Oh Lauren…I didn't know you were here'

'I'm helping with the clean-up' she said to her 'Sorry about the glass…plastic arm' she held up her cast.

'It's okay' Sharon said looking at Joey, waiting for his explanation.

'I'm sorry we didn't clean up last night. We were really busy all night and we worked through our breaks and by the time the club closed and we kicked the last of the stragglers out we were too tired to do it' he told her 'we put the cash in the safe though before we went home.'

Lauren stood up and put the broken glass in the bin. 'There were three of you on staff last night, you should've been able to cope and if you couldn't you should've called me or Jack'

Joey nodded his head 'I know, I thought we could handle it, I made the wrong decision' he told her 'Sorry'

Lauren felt guilty Joey was taking the blame, she'd been the one who had walked out mid shift dropping both boys in it.

'Actually…' she started to say but Joey cut her off.

'I just wanted to prove to you I could run the place, take on some more responsibility' he told her 'I screwed up' he said 'and I'm sorry'

Sharon looked at him and nodded her head 'Well, you're cleaning up now so I guess there's no harm done' she said to him. 'But make sure this doesn't happen again, Joey, okay?'

'Okay' he nodded his head.

'Jack and I will leave you to it' she said to them both. 'And we'll see you tonight' she turned to look at Jack 'looks like you've been saved from clean up duty' she said 'how about lunch in the Vic?'

'Why don't you take Lauren? I'll help Joey finish up here' he said looking pointedly at Joey. He was sure Joey told him earlier Lauren had gone home sick but he didn't tell Sharon that fact. His suspicions about the two off them grew and he wanted to talk to Joey to try and get the truth out of him. Maybe then he could talk some sense into the boy.

'I'm not hungry' Lauren jumped in quickly 'I've already eaten…early lunch so…' she shrugged.

'Let's leave them to it' Sharon insisted, looping her arm through Jack's and tugging him out from behind the bar.

Joey and Lauren both heard the door to the club close and let out simultaneous breaths 'That was close' Joey said, throwing her an apologetic look.

'You're lucky I heard them talking' Lauren said 'or we would be having a very different reaction from your aunt and uncle' she told him with a frown.

'Yeah, I know' he nodded his head in agreement. 'We need to be more careful'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

At lunch time, Joey sent Lauren to get some food and promised he'd be back at the flat in half an hour. Lauren went to the MinuteMart and then the café to get what she wanted before she headed back to Joey's flat. Settling herself in the kitchen she started to prepare their lunch. Joey arrived, as promised half an hour later and Lauren smiled as she put the finishing touches to their lunch.

Joey blinked in surprise as he looked at the changes she'd made to the living room. The coffee table had been moved and was pushed up against the wall, there was a sheet on the floor as well as a variety of food and a bottle of wine and two glasses 'what's this?' he asked her waving a hand at the food as he shrugged of his coat, tossing it to the sofa.

'An indoor picnic' she said to him, trying to read the expression on his face 'I know I can't cook, but I do make a mean picnic' she told him, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a £20 note 'Here's your change' she said

'Keep it' he replied.

Lauren frowned and looked down at the money in her hand and shook her head 'No, I can't do that' she told him and she walked over to him and held the money out to him.

'Yes, you can' he nodded his head. 'I want you to keep it'

Lauren sighed 'I'm not a charity case, Joey' she told him, shaking her head, she put the money in the tray by the door and opened it.

'Where are you going?' Joey frowned at her.

'Home' she replied.

'Don't leave' he said grabbing her by the elbow 'not after you've gone to all this trouble' he said softly.

'It was stupid...' she looked down as he turned her around to face him.

'No' he whispered shaking his head 'it wasn't' he told her, raising her head with his fingers until she was looking at him 'I think it's a great idea' he said 'I don't know about you but I'm starving and all the food looks great, it would be a shame to waste it' he shut the door and took her hand, leading her over the sheet and they sat down. Joey poured them both a glass of wine and handed one to her.

'Thank you' she said taking the glass from him and raising it to her lips. Joey looked down at the food and he picked up a plate, filling it with some food.

'This looks great, Lauren' he said 'thank you' he smiled at her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren was worried she'd gone over the top with the indoor picnic. At the time she was buying the food she thought it was a good idea, but now they were actually doing it she thought it was a little bit childish and maybe a bit too soppy or heaven forbid…girlfriendly.

Joey popped another mini sausage roll into his mouth and then moved to lean up against the sofa.

'Mmm, you were right, you do make a mean picnic' he told her with a smile.

'Have you had enough?' she asked him quietly.

'For now, yeah' he nodded his head, his hand rubbing his belly I'm stuffed' Lauren started to pack things away. She got up and walked through to the kitchen, Joey could hear her moving around, opening cupboards and the fridge as she put things away. She came back into the lounge to get some more things and Joey thought he should help her, even though he was comfortable where he was. He got up and followed her into the kitchen with some more food and he helped her put things away. 'So what movie are we watching next?' he asked her. 'Weren't we halfway through the Notebook?' he asked her.

'I was thinking maybe I should go home' she told him.

'What? Why?' he frowned at her 'I thought we were spending the day together?' he asked her. 'Hey, what's wrong, babe? Are you worried about Jake?' he asked her 'because he's not going to be back for three days so we have nothing to worry about'

'I hadn't even thought about Jake' she said honestly.

'Then what is it?' he asked her, 'I thought we were having a good time. We were having a good time right?' she nodded 'so what's changed in the last 45 minutes?' he asked her. 'Are you worried about the picnic? Because I have to say I thought it was a brilliant surprise' he told her 'No-one's ever done anything like that for me before' he said taking her hand in his 'It was very thoughtful and very romantic' he told her.

She looked up at him 'It was stupid and childish and…'

'No it wasn't' Joey shook his head. 'Don't think that' he told her softly. 'I had a great time and the food was great and the company, well I couldn't have asked for better company' he led her back into the lounge, pulling her down onto the sofa. 'I promise you the next time Jake is away I'll take you out for the day and we'll have another picnic just like this one, but outside' he promised her, sealing the deal with a kiss. 'Now can we finish watching the Notebook now please?' he pouted at her. Lauren giggled and nodded her head, reaching for the remote and pressing play. 'Thank you' Joey smiled.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** Oops! The two of them nearly got caught by Jack and Sharon! Good job Lauren heard them come in. So cute Lauren made Joey an indoor picnic…although it was nearly over before it started when Joey tried to get Lauren to keep the change! What do you think of this chapter? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow. **


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter Forty-seven**

The day finally arrived when Lauren could get her cast taken off her arm. She'd asked Jake for her Oyster card so she could go to the hospital and he refused, offering to drive her there instead. They sat in the waiting room waiting to be seen by the doctor and Jake reached into the bag he'd brought with him. 'I have something for you' he told her and he handed her a gift wrapped box.

'What is it?' she frowned at him, dubiously. Jake didn't do gifts. Not even for her birthday or for Christmas.

'Open it and see' he said looking at her expectantly. She tore off the paper to see a mobile phone box inside. 'Well?' he asked her.

'You got me a mobile?' she stared at the box.

'Well, I thought since you've shown me I can trust you, you deserved a reward' he told her 'Joey got it for me, he knows which ones are the best' he told her. He took the box from her, took the phone out and turned it on. 'My number has been pre-programmed in, as has Joey's and your mum's' he told her. She licked her lips as he handed her the phone back. 'It's on a contract so you won't ever run out of credit. I thought it was important for you to have one so if you needed to get in touch with me you could' he said with a smile.

'Thank you' she said forcing a smile on her face, as she wondered what the catch was. She didn't have long to wait to find out.

'Don't you go running up the bill though, I've got it itemised so I know who you've been calling and how long you have been on the phone to them for'

Lauren nodded her head, she spotted what looked like a little satellite icon on the top of the screen 'what's that?' she asked him, even though she knew full well it was a GPS signal.

'Never you mind' he replied. 'You can't change any of the settings either, they've been password protected and only I know what the password is' he told her 'so you can't delete texts or anything either'

'Who am I going to text, Jake?' Lauren asked him quietly as a nurse called her name.

'Do you want me to come in with you?' he asked her.

'No. I'm fine' she shook her head. She handed the phone back to Jake and got up and followed the nurse. She had another x-ray to make sure the fracture had healed as it should've done and then her cast was removed. She was relieved to have the cast off her arm and was smiling as she walked out of the treatment room. Jake looked at her as she walked over to him.

'Are we good to go?' he asked her.

'Yes' she nodded her head. He handed the phone back to her and she carefully put it in her handbag as Jake led her out to the car.

'How's the arm feeling?' he asked her, she glanced at him, worried as to why he would ask. Normally he didn't care.

'It's a little sore still but the fracture has healed' she told him. He opened the car door for her and she got in.

'That's good. You'll be more careful next time then won't you' he told her, shutting her door loudly, making her jump. He walked round to the driver's side. He started the engine 'by the way I'm selling the car' he told her as he pulled out the hospital.

'What? Why?' she frowned at him.

'Because it just sits there and isn't being used. It's waste of money'

'It's in my name, you can't sell it' she frowned at him.

'You never use it' he retorted.

'Because you took the keys away from me and hid them' she frowned at him.

He slammed his foot on the brakes, Lauren shot forward in her seat and the seatbelt cut into her ribs painfully. 'Well you'd better get used to not having a car then' he told her 'you can learn how to walk everywhere you need to go. And you might as well start now' he told her. She blinked at him and he nodded his head towards the door 'get out then''

'Jake…it's nearly 10 miles' Lauren exclaimed

'It'll do you good you're putting on weight, you're a disgusting fat lump' he told her. 'Give me back the phone' he told her. 'You can have it when you get back home' he held out his hand and she fished in her bag and pulled out the phone. She took off her seatbelt and opened the car door, climbing out of the car.

'You want the phone back?' she asked him 'you can go and fucking get it' she snapped at him and she hurled it down the road. It hit the asphalt and shattered into pieces. She left the car door open and walked back towards the hospital. She heard the car door slam and the screeching of tyres as the car sped off. She sat down on the wall outside of the hospital for a few minutes. She waited twenty minutes to make sure Jake wasn't coming back and then pulled out her secret mobile from her bag and dialled Joey's number.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Twenty minutes later a taxi pulled up outside the hospital and the driver wound the window down. 'Lauren Stone?' he said, leaning out of the window to look at her. She peered into the taxi and saw it was empty. Joey told her he was coming to get her so she assumed Jake had sent the taxi for her.

'No, sorry' she shook her head. She glanced down the road and saw a familiar car pulling round the corner, she got up and headed towards it, smiling. She could feel the taxi driver's eyes on her as she walked round to the passenger side and got into the car, instead of finding Joey in the driver's seat she was surprised to see Jack.

'Joey said you needed a lift?' he asked her, she nodded her head dumbly, wondering why Joey had sent Jack to collect her instead of coming himself. He asked to borrow the car when Jake called him over so I said I would step in' he told her. Lauren licked her lips.

'Thank you' she said to him 'I think Jake sent that taxi' she nodded towards the black cab that was now pulling away from the curb. Jack looked up.

'Well, he was on the phone before he called Joey over' he told her 'so what happened?' he asked her.

'I got my cast off' she said, holding up her arm to show him 'no more broken glasses' she forced a smile onto her face.

'Yeah! That's great news. Sharon will be thrilled' he teased her lightly 'It's all healed then?' Jack smiled at her.

'Yep. All better' she said as Jack started the engine, he pulled away and headed towards Walford.

He glanced at her as he drove, she was staring out of the window, her face hidden from him.

'Look, I'm sorry if I came on too strong before' he apologised to her 'It's my Police background I think. Max and Derek tell me off about it all the time' he said trying to coax her into a conversation. She said nothing 'Joey was a bit mad with me too. He told me you were really pissed off at him about talking to me about things between you and Jake' he tried again to draw her into talking to him 'Joey cares about you, a lot' he said trying a different tact. 'He only spoke to me because he wanted to help you' he told her.

'I know, we talked about it and we're okay now' she replied.

'Lauren…you know if there's anything that you need you can come to me, or Max or Derek don't you?' he asked her 'we all consider you as part of the family'

'You adopted the stray' she said laughing bitterly. 'My marriage is my business Jack' she turned to look at him 'I don't need any help'

'That's not the way Joey's telling it' Jack replied softly. 'Look…all I'm saying is there are other people you can turn to, other people who care about you' he said, taking one hand off the steering wheel to squeeze her knee.

Lauren took a deep breath and nodded her head 'I know…thank you' she said softly.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** Jake started out being nice (again) and then turned into a total shit (again) by the end of the chapter. I wonder why Joey didn't come himself though? But at least in sent Uncle Jack to pick her up! Leave me a review. Back tomorrow.  
**


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter** **Forty-Eight**

Jack pulled into Albert Square 45 minutes later. 'How about some lunch?' he asked her 'call it a peace offering?' he asked her.

'I don't have any money' she told him softly. Jack nodded his head 'Well then I guess I'll have to pay then, won't I?' he asked her as he climbed out of the car. He waited for her and Lauren got out, closing her door and followed him round towards the pub, he held the door open for her as she went inside. 'White wine?' he asked her.

'Please' she nodded her head as her eyes scanned the pub, searching for Jake.

'Why don't you grab a table and I'll bring the drinks over?' he told her. Lauren nodded her head again, and turned and sat down at the first available table. She sat her bag on her lap and she pulled out her phone and checked to see if Joey had been in touch. He hadn't. She sent Joey a quick text message and turned her phone off and pushed it into her pocket.

Jack brought the drinks over to the table along with a menu.

'Thanks' Lauren grabbed her glass and took a long drink, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

'So, you've run out of money already?' he asked her.

'Sorry?' Lauren frowned at him, not understanding what he meant.

'You only got paid two days ago' he replied.

'Oh…yeah…'she said a little flustered 'I need to learn to make it last' she said with a nod of her head.

'Tell you what, I'll have a word with Sharon about giving you a pay rise, hey. A cash in hand one, would that help?' Lauren's eyes shot up to his, she was about to say no, but thought better of it

'Please' she whispered softly, looking down feeling embarrassed that Jack had obviously worked out Jake took her wages.

'Good, that's settled then. In the meantime' he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out £200 and held it out to her 'consider this some back pay' he told her. She shook her head as she felt her eyes fill with tears 'take it, Lauren. You've earned it.' Jack saw her hands were shaking as she reached out and took the money from him.

'Thank you' her voice filled with emotion as she took the money from him. She wondered briefly where to put it so Jake wouldn't find it. She tucked the money inside her bra and smiled at Jack.

'So what are we having to eat?' he asked her.

'Can I have a burger and fries please?' she asked him.

'Absolutely' he nodded his head 'I think I will have the same. Do not go anywhere while I order the food'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey watched Jake as he paced the floor of the kitchen. 'Where is she?' he frowned 'she should've been back by now' he said and he turned to look at Joey.

'I don't know' Joey said to him 'If you hadn't thrown her out of the car she'd be here now wouldn't she?'

'I was just angry with her, she answered me back…' Jake explained to Joey, trying to justify his actions..

'Technically it is her car' Joey replied 'You have to understand why she's upset you want to sell it'

'She doesn't use it' Jake tried to reason with him.

'Like you said, you took the keys away from her so she couldn't use it' Joey tried to make him see sense. 'Jake, will you stop pacing, I'm sure she's fine' he told him 'she's probably just sitting somewhere feeling sorry for herself or feeling pretty pissed off at you and who can blame her, forcing her to get out of a car 10 miles from home'

'Whose side are you on?' Jake frowned at him.

'I'm on your side, Jake, you know that' he told him 'but to be fair I'd be pretty pissed off with you if you left me to walk 10 miles to get home'

Jake sighed and he pulled out a chair and sat down at the dining table. 'She gets me so…crazy sometimes' he admitted to Joey.

'That's what women do' Joey said 'it's why I'm happy living the way I do' Joey told him 'maybe you need to apologise to her, mate'

'I just wish I knew where she was' Jake said again.

'She'll be back' Joey told him as he phone beeped, alerting him to a text message, pulling his phone out of his pocket, he looked at it and saw it was from Lauren.

"_**At the Vic with Jack, he's buying me lunch…" **_

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Lauren unlocked the door an hour and a half later. 'Lauren is that you?' she heard Jake's voice.

'Like you care' she shot back.

'Baby, I know you're angry with me' he appeared in the doorway of the kitchen and walked down the hallway towards her, 'I am so sorry, I shouldn't have left you like that. You just got me angry'

Lauren frowned at him 'I got you angry?' she asked him 'I got you angry? Because you weren't expecting me to be upset you've decided to sell the car I brought with my own money and keep the profit for yourself?' she snapped at him 'yeah I can see how that would get _**you**_ angry, Jake'

'Honey, please…' Lauren headed for the stairs

'Leave me alone, Jake' she snapped at him and fled up the stairs.

Joey came out of the kitchen and Jake looked at him. 'You knew she was going to be pissed off and she does kind of have a point' Joey reminded him. 'Look, you need to be heading to your meeting with your solicitors. So why don't you go and I'll stay here, watch Lauren?' he suggested.

'Are you sure?' Jake asked him. 'I'll be gone for a couple of days'

'Yes' he nodded his head 'I'm sure' he licked his lips, wanting to make sure Lauren was okay and find out what Jack had said to her.

'Great, thanks' Jake said, grabbing his keys, jacket and phone from the side. Joey watched him leave the house, once he was gone he flipped the latch on the door so he couldn't get back in before heading up the stairs. Lauren was sitting on the bed.

'Hey' Joey said softly from the doorway 'are you okay?'

'Is he really mad?' she asked him, glancing over her shoulder.

'Actually he's pretty upset with himself' Joey told her.

'Which will be my fault' she looked down at her hands 'I'll pay for that in some shape or form later' she sighed 'thank you for sending Jack after me'

'I wasn't going to just leave you there was I, hey?' he told her walking into the room 'why didn't you tell me you were getting your cast off today? I would have taken you to the hospital'

'I was going to get the train but he wouldn't give me my Oyster card' she told him 'he insisted he was going to drive me'

'Look, he's gone to meet his solicitors about the new restaurant, he's going to be gone for at least two hours, if you pack a bag we could be gone…' Joey told her.

'Do you think if it was as simple as packing a bag and leaving I would still be here?' she looked at him 'I have no money, I have no passport or drivers licence, birth certificate….I have nothing' she shook her head 'where would I go? What would I do?' she asked him 'I'm not going to live for the rest of my life looking over my shoulder, being afraid he would find me again' she got up and walked to the window and peered out onto the square. 'There isn't a way out and we both know it. So stop pretending there is'

Joey crossed over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders 'Babe…'

'Don't' she shrugged his hands off 'Just go, Joey…please. I can't do this anymore' she whispered.

'Lauren…' he whispered.

She spun round 'Just go…please…just go…'

Joey blinked at her, nodding his head 'okay, okay I'll go' he told her.

Lauren heard him go down the stairs and the front door open and close, she watched him walk out of the house and across the square.

**AN Thanks for all your reviews **** Poor Lauren…Jack knew she didn't spend all her wages but at least he's worked out a way for Lauren to get some money that Jake doesn't know about. She just needs to find a place to hide it! Good thinking on Joey's part for being at the house when Lauren came home. I don't think Jake would hurt Lauren with someone else watching. I wonder what she meant when she said she couldn't do this anymore? Are you all thinking the same as Joey? That she means their relationship? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow **


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter Forty-nine **

Joey wondered what Lauren meant when she said she couldn't do this anymore. He was worried she meant she couldn't continue with their relationship and he didn't like the idea in the least, nor did he like how it made him feel. He'd planned to ask her that night at work, but she called in sick. She'd spoken to Ricky, claiming she had a migraine. Joey knew Jake had gone out with some friends and Lauren was home alone. He tried to call her but her phone was switched off.

He needed to talk to someone but he didn't know who he could talk to without them jumping to conclusions. Uncle Jack was off the list to start with, he was already suspicious something was going on between him and Lauren. His dad was also not an option. Which only really left Sharon…who would tell Jack, so that ruled her out. Or there was his Uncle Max. Maybe he could talk to him.

'You okay?' Ricky asked Joey, pulling him out of his thoughts.

'Yeah, sorry I was miles away' he said his attention moving back to the now.

'You didn't even hear the question I asked you did you?' Ricky rolled his eyes. I said it's quiet here tonight. Would you mind if I took off early?' he asked him 'Only, I have a date' he said, he nodded his head towards the end of the bar, Joey followed his gaze. Standing at the end of the bar was a stunning blonde, wearing a red dress that clung to her figure like a glove. Joey recognised her as girl who'd been flirting with him for most of the night and she'd apparently given up on him and moved onto his colleague.

'Yeah, sure' Joey nodded his head. 'Go for it. But you get to clean up in the morning'

'Thanks mate. I owe you!' Ricky clapped him on the back and then headed towards the blonde. He watched as the two of them left the club. Maybe he needed a little of the same, he thought to himself. A random hook up with a nameless bit of skirt to get his mind off Lauren. He scanned the club seeing if there was anyone there he would consider taking home with him tonight.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren walked through the square, pulling her jacket tightly round her. She was thankful Jake was out tonight, and he'd told her he wouldn't be back for a couple of days. She knew he was giving her space and for that she was thankful. She really didn't think she would be able to keep her temper under control. Before she came here she found it easier to just do what Jake wanted, she learnt to ignore his barbs and hurtful comments. Not that they didn't hurt, they did. A lot. And after a while she started to believe everything he said to her. And then she moved here, and she met Joey and his family and everything changed.

Her thoughts lingered on Joey. Joey made her feel things she'd never felt before. She didn't know if she could stop seeing him. Not now. Not ever. She was scared about Jake finding out about the two of them. He trusted Joey…and Lauren knew what happened to people who broke Jake's trust. She found herself outside the club. She stared at the doors, debating if she should go in or not, it was almost closing time. She sighed and decided not to and turned to head back towards the house. When she got there she couldn't bring herself to go inside. She turned around and headed for Joey's flat. Sitting down on the steps outside to wait for him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey cashed up and locked the money in the till. He glanced around the empty club. He'd already collected all the glasses up, putting them on the bar for Ricky to clean. He also left him a note about restocking the drinks. He made his way up the stairs and locked the doors and headed towards home. It was a cold night, and zipped his jacket up and pushed his hands into his pockets. He'd have a hot shower before he went to bed, maybe that would warm him up a little. He crossed over the square and saw a small figure huddled on his steps.

'Lauren?' he said softly 'is that you?' his heart beat rapidly in his chest.

She looked up and then rose to her feet. 'I'm sorry I know it's late…' she told him 'I just…I didn't…Is it too late?' she asked him.

'Of course not' he shook his head 'come on, let's get you inside. It's freezing out here' he said pulling his keys out of his pocket. He took the stairs two at a time and unlocked the door, holding it open for her. 'Why didn't you use your key?' he asked her.

'I wasn't sure I should after what I said earlier' she replied, he unlocked the inner door to the flat and she stepped inside. He shut the door and he took her hands in his.

'Jesus, Lauren, you're like an ice cube, How long have you been out there?' he asked her

'A while' she replied 'I've been walking around and thinking and…I didn't want to go home' she said looking up at him 'I don't want to be on my own tonight'

'Well that makes two of us' Joey replied with a smile. 'Let's get you warmed up, hey' he said softly.

'Yes please' she nodded her head.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews…As a treat you have a second chapter tonight. To answer a couple if questions. As I have already stated there are over 150 chapters to TBB. Yes there is another 12 Days of Christmas story coming co-written with 74crazychick. So what did you think of this chapter? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow.**


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter Fifty**

Joey led her into the bedroom, 'you need to take a hot shower to warm up' he told her 'I'll make a hot drink and then I want you to get into bed' he stroked her cheek. 'There are clean towels in the bathroom in the cupboard under the sink' he said 'and I'll lay out some clothes you can wear' he told her. Lauren went into the bathroom and closed the door. A few minutes later Joey heard the shower start up. He laid some of his clothes out on the bed for her, leaving the room to make the hot drinks and to give her some privacy.

The shower felt good, it warmed her frozen skin. It was longer than it should've been before she stepped out of the shower, taking advantage of the warm water for several minutes, not wanting to get out of the warmth for as long as she possibly could. Eventually she had to though and she wrapped a towel around herself. She opened the door and peered shyly into the bedroom relieved when she saw the room was empty and she darted into the room. She dried herself quickly and pulled on the black jersey boxer shorts and t-shirt he'd left out for her, wanting to get back into some warmth. She pulled back the covers on the bed and got in, snuggling under the covers as she tried to warm herself. Joey came in a few minutes later with two steaming mugs of coffee. He smiled seeing Lauren already in his bed. She sat up as he handed her a cup. 'Thanks' she said as she cradled the mug between her hands.

'Feel better?' he asked her softly, setting his cup on the bedside table. He sat down on the bed with his back to her and started to get undressed.

'I feel less cold' she replied 'I don't know about better' she looked away as he changed.

'Did something happen between you and Jake?' he asked her, pausing what he was doing as he waited for her answer.

'No' she shook her head and Joey continued to undress. 'Surprisingly nothing happened' she told him. 'Your Uncle Jack gave me £200. He said it was a long overdue pay rise. Cash in hand of course not through the books'

'Where did you put it?' he asked her.

'I haven't got anywhere to hide it…' she told him. 'It's been in my bra since he gave it to me'

Joey opened one of his drawers and pulled out a pair of socks. Undoing them he gave one to her.

'Put the money in here and you can keep it at the flat' he told her. 'So if you ever need it you can just come and get it' Lauren put her coffee down, taking his sock from him. She climbed out of bed and picked up the money, slipping it inside the sock and giving it back to him. He put it back in his drawer. 'There. It's in a safe place now' he said softly. Lauren slid back under the covers, glancing at Joey as he took off his trousers and socks. 'I just need to use the bathroom' he told her.

'Okay' she reached for her coffee again as he disappeared into the bathroom, starting to get a little nervous about what was going to happen next. Not that she knew what that was at the moment.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

He returned 10 minutes later, a pair of grey pyjama bottoms on that hung low on his hips. He smiled at her as he crossed the room and got into bed beside her.

'Is this okay' he frowned 'I can go sleep on the sofa if you'd rather' he told her.

'It's okay' she said softly 'it's your bed and flat after all. I'm the one who should be sleeping on the sofa…which I can do if you'd rather…' she trailed off, smiling as she realised she'd echoed his words to her.

'I'm good' he told her with a small smile.

'I'm sorry I called in sick' she told him.

'We weren't busy so…no harm, no foul' he shrugged 'Ricky took off early too…had a hot date'

'Oh?' Lauren raised her eyebrows, her curiosity piqued.

'Yeah a long legged blonde, he's punching well above his weight there, of course' he scoffed.

'Is that right?' Lauren asked him.

'Yep' he nodded his head 'Ricky likes to think he's a big hit with the ladies, but not everyone has what it takes' he told her, unable to keep the smugness from his voice.

'Oh and what's that exactly?' she asked him.

'Charm, charisma, the ability to undress someone with your eyes, make them feel completely naked whilst still fully dressed' he smirked as he glanced at her. 'Oh and having dimples helps. Girls can't resist dimples' he teased her.

'Yeah… that was the first thing I noticed about you. Your dimples' she said teasingly.

Joey smirked at her again 'What did you notice about me first?' he asked her putting her on the spot, intrigued to know her answer.

'You know this coffee is really good' she said changing the subject.

'The first thing I noticed about you was your eyes' Joey told her softly 'you have really pretty eyes, such a deep brown colour, mesmerising pools of…'

Lauren started to giggle 'shut up, you idiot' she told him 'my eyes are not mesmerising pools of anything' she shook her head. She took a sip of coffee and placed the cup on the table, turning slightly to look at him.

''It's good to see you laugh again' he told her softly. 'It's also good to see you without your cast' he said sitting upright and turning towards her. He picked up her right hand and looked at her arm, running his fingers over it lightly 'looks good' he told her 'does it feel okay?'

Lauren swallowed as she watched his hand moved along her arm, his touch sending tingles through her entire body. 'It feels good' she whispered. She slowly raised her head to see he was watching her intently. 'Are we okay, Joey?' she asked him 'After what I said at the house?'

'That depends' he told her.

'On what?' she frowned.

'On what you meant' he told her 'Are we just friends again or are we more than friends?' he asked her.

Lauren stared at him. 'I don't want to put you in the middle of me and Jake' she told him softly.

'You didn't, babe. Jake put me in the middle of you and Jake' he told her.

'It's not fair for you to be in the middle' she shook her head. 'I don't want you to get hurt'

'It works in our favour' Joey reminded her 'Jake thinks he can trust me. Which means you and I are free to do whatever we want to…if that's what you want' he looked at her. Lauren closed her eyes and she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. 'I don't want to force you into a relationship with me if it's not what you want' he continued 'it's your decision and whatever it turns out to be I will respect it and we'll still be friends, that won't change' he promised her. Lauren looked at him. 'I know you're scared, Lauren, I understand why you are scared, you're putting a lot on the line here…you have so much to lose…'

Lauren shook her head 'you're wrong, Joey' she told him softly. 'I don't have anything left to lose' she told him 'as far as I'm concerned my marriage is over…it was over before it even started. And I'm tired of not living my life, of being too scared to take chances…to go after what I want…'

'And what is it exactly that you want?' Joey asked her huskily.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. **** So Joey warmed Lauren up with a shower! And he's planning on letting her sleep in his bed. Joey mentioned the R word too! I wonder what Lauren's reply is going to be to Joey's question? If you want to find out then you have until 2:00pm to leave me a review…if I get 20 reviews or more then you will find out today…if not you'll have to wait until tomorrow. Leave me a review! Oh on another note there will be a sequel to 12 days of Christmas which will be posted around 14 December! So you might want to refresh your memory on the original story which you will find on my site! **


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter Fifty-one**

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. Well I guess you all wanted a second chapter today! So here it is! Suffice to say I think Lauren has been thoroughly warmed up by the end of the chapter! Enjoy!  
**

'You' she replied without hesitation 'I want you, Joey' she told him in a whisper, lifting her eyes to look into his. A long silence stretched between them as Joey took in her words and the meaning behind them.

'Are you sure?' he said, finally breaking the silence. He reached out with his hand, cupping her face, his thumb brushing her cheek lightly.

'Yes' her eyes fell to his lips 'I'm sure. I've never been more sure of anything in my whole life' she admitted to him.

Joey gazed at her for what felt like forever, building the anticipation between them both. Joey moved forward, pressing his lips against hers.

Lauren smiled against his lips as he lowered her back onto the bed, moving over her beneath the sheets. She slid one foot up his calf causing him to flinch and break the kiss, and effectively the moment they were sharing.

'Fuck! Lauren, your feet are like blocks of ice' he looked down at her.

'Well, you'll have to warm me up then won't you?' she grinned up at him.

Joey stole a kiss 'and how do you propose I do that?' he asked her softly.

'You're the one with all the moves, not to mention the charisma, charm and undress me eyes. I'm sure you and your dimples will figure it out' she replied, a confidence washing over her that she hadn't thought she possessed 'don't worry, I'll let you know when I'm getting hot'

'Are you flirting with me?' Joey asker her with a smile, Lauren nodded her head with a giggle, biting her bottom lip. 'Well you've gotten very good at it' he replied when he felt his groin tightening as he watched her top teeth worrying her lip.

'I was taught by the best' she said running her hands up his arms to rest them on his shoulders. She pulled him down into a kiss and they both got lost in it for a few moments.

'Your lessons aren't over yet, babe' he whispered as he dragged his mouth from hers, before lowering his head once more and slipping his tongue between her lips. She groaned into his mouth, moving her hands down his back to his firm bum. She squeezed it gently and he moaned, grinding himself against her, leaving her breathless. One of his hands slid under her t-shirt, slowly sliding across her stomach and up towards her breasts, stopping when he felt her tense beneath him. He broke the kiss and trailed his lips to her neck, worshipping the skin beneath with open mouthed kisses. Lauren arched up beneath him and he took the opportunity to slide his hand higher, curving around her breast gently. Lauren moaned, her chest pushing further into his palm and he ran his thumb over her peak. Her eyes opened and she looked directly into his, heat and desire swimming in their depths. 'Do you like that?' he asked softly and she could only nod her head in reply. 'Do you want more?' Another nod and she licked her lips. Joey kissed her again, sweeping his tongue around her mouth in an effort to prove to her how he felt. His other hand swept up under her top and cupped her other breast, bringing another moan from her.

'More, Joey… please…' she whimpered, fidgeting on the bed beneath him.

'So are you warm yet, Lauren… or do I need to do more?' he asked her.

She shook her head 'no…still cold…more…' she said again.

He chuckled softly and looked at her, planning his next move. He didn't want to scare her off but at the same time he wanted to give her something they hadn't done before. He had an idea and he rolled off her, lying beside her. She looked at him, worry on her face, 'don't worry, babe… just choosing my next charm offensive…' he said, smiling at her and he saw and felt her relax. He'd removed one of his hands from her top, leaning on that arm as he lay next to her so he could see her face and how she was reacting. The fingers of his other hand brushed the side of her breast and he could tell she was sensitive there, feeling her shiver slightly to his touch so he did it over and over. He sensed she was close to coming, he'd had her in this position before and he recognised the signs. Just as she was about to reach her peak he moved his hand away from her and she groaned in frustration. She scowled at him and he had to laugh which didn't help improve her mood.

'Joey!' she growled in frustration.

'Oh kitten, are you going to get your claws out?' he teased her, causing her to giggle. His hand ran down her stomach, barely grazing her skin but setting her senses on fire nonetheless. She wriggled beside him as he brushed his fingers over her stomach. He lowered his head and kissed her mouth gently, feeling her try to deepen her kiss. He pulled his mouth from hers and then pulled the hem of her t-shirt up a little and kissed her belly, blowing a raspberry into her belly button. She squirmed and giggled again. Joey smiled, she was nice and relaxed again now which had been his intention when he'd started this. He lifted his head again, tugging the t-shirt back down with his hand. He looked at her face again and she was lying there, her eyes shut. Now was the time he'd been waiting for. While she wasn't paying attention he slipped his fingers beneath the waistband of the boxers she was wearing. He was surprised, but shouldn't really have been, when he realised she was also still wearing her knickers. He ran his fingers across the elastic of the waistband of her underwear, teasing the soft skin of her lower belly. He glanced up at her face, expecting to see her eyes shut but instead was surprised to find her watching him through hooded eyes, her bottom lip back between her teeth. As his fingers pushed beneath the elastic her hips shifted, encouraging him to keep going. He knew she'd tell him to stop if she didn't want him to do something. 'I'm going to make you scream my name kitten.' He whispered and she smiled, moaning softly. He pushed his hand into her knickers, a small amount of tension appeared on her face and then disappeared just as quickly as it came. Joey shifted his body closer to her, knowing she'd be able to feel his erection pressing against her hip and she turned her head, looking at him. There was a new kind of heat in her eyes now, something he hadn't seen there before.

'Can I touch you…?' she whispered, her words taking his breath away. 'On my own this time,' she added, her face colouring slightly as she voiced her question.

'You can do anything you like' he told her, 'just remember what I showed you before…'

Her hand brushed over his rigid length in his pyjama bottoms and he had to fight back a moan as she settled her hand on it, squeezing it softly, it was clear she remembered everything.

'Like that?' she asked, looking to him for approval.

'Yes, perfect…' he moaned, taking advantage of her distraction to move his hand further into her knickers. She inhaled sharply as his fingers danced over her clit, her hips shifting slightly.

'Joey, Joey, Joey…' she moaned softly, squeezing his cock in her hand as he continued to tease her clit. 'More…' she whined. 'Please…'

'You just have to ask, babe… you know that…' he told her, 'what do you want me to do now?' he asked her.

'Do what you said you were going to do earlier…' she said, 'and for God's sake, kiss me…' she added, blushing slightly. He smirked at her and lowered his head, kissing her gently. His hand moved further down and he ran them over her opening, feeling the heat and moisture emanating from her body. She moaned into his mouth as he pushed a fingertip into her. She tensed as he touched her that way and he knew this wasn't something Jake had done to her… which didn't surprise him in the slightest. It was clear from what he'd done with Lauren so far that foreplay was not a pastime Jake seemed to be interested in… not with Lauren anyway. And he was pretty sure that any foreplay would be for his own benefit and would have nothing to do with satisfying the woman was with.

'Relax, Lauren…' he told her softly. 'Just feel what I'm doing…' he added. He felt her try to do that but she was still tense. 'Focus instead on touching me…' he suggested, 'don't think about what I'm doing to you, just stroke me…' he breathed in her ear and he felt the tension ease from her body. He set a slow pace, half aware of the way her hand was softly stroking his heavy cock through his pyjamas. His fingertip brushed her inner wall and she moaned loudly. She clearly liked what he'd just done so he did it again. He spent the next minute doing it over and over until she was whispering his name repeatedly. 'Is that good, baby?' he asked her unnecessarily and she nodded her head, licking her lips which were parched. Her breathing had increased and it got faster again as he pushed his second fingertip inside. He watched her face as he eased his fingers into her, feeling her body clamp down on them as he pushed deeper inside her. He knew her sexual experiences with Jake had left her far from satisfied and hadn't exactly been frequent but she was gloriously tight around his fingers and he tried to imagine what it would be like to have his cock inside her. He was more than aware the first time they had sex it would possibly be a painful experience for her. She was so tight Joey had to wonder just how much Jake was packing… less than him of that he was certain. He couldn't help but puff up with pride at that brief thought. He turned his focus back to what he was doing… and what she was doing when he felt her hand tighten on him noticeably. It wouldn't be long before he came and he wanted them to come together… or as good as anyway. He pressed his thumb on her clit and she gasped for breath. 'Do you know what it feels like to have your hand doing that to me, babe?' he asked her. She shook her head and he smiled at her as her hand moved a little faster. He saw stars as she brushed her thumb over the head of his cock and he thrust his fingers into her. He moved them faster and he knew he was doing something right when she started to move with him. It gave him a thrill to know she was enjoying this, even though she had been reticent at the beginning. 'Are you nearly there?' he asked.

'Yes…' she breathed.

'Me too,' he told her. His thumb teased her clit again and her back arched off the bed, 'just a minute or so more, babe… can you hold off that long?' he asked her. She nodded, biting her lip as she concentrated on pushing him to breaking point without coming herself. Joey continued the movement of his fingers inside her, enjoying the delicious feeling of her body tightening around him. He knew this would be easier if neither of them were wearing clothes but he also knew he could only push Lauren so far past her boundaries. This was definitely a case of taking baby steps.

Lauren squeezed his length tightly as his fingers drove in and out of her body. He pushed her over the edge and she screamed his name… just like he'd said she would. The sounds she was making as she came around his fingers was enough to make him come too and he throbbed in her tiny palm, her hand continuing to stroke him through his peak. He belatedly realised she was moving her hand in time with his movements and he wondered if she was imagining them doing this in a whole different way… much more intimately, just like he was. He looked at her face, the beauty of her orgasm still clear to see in her eyes and he took in every detail, realising once more how stunning she was. He stilled his fingers inside her, not removing them from her just yet. Her hand had stopped moving too and she brushed her fingers over his softening length once more before she pulled it away.

'That was amazing, Joey…' she murmured, rolling her body slightly so she was facing towards him, nestling into his chest. He pulled his fingers from her, feeling her body shake slightly as he did so. He pulled her closer to him, his hand remaining inside the boxers she was wearing and settling on her bum, heating her skin and making her feel cherished for the first time in her life.

He stared deep into her eyes as his feelings once again spiralled out of control 'Yeah, yeah it was' he whispered back softly. Her eyelids started to droop and he smiled 'Is my kitten tired?' he asked her with a smile. She nodded her head and tried to stifle a yawn, Joey chuckled. 'Sleep, babe' he whispered softly, moving forward and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

**AN: Don't forget to leave me a review… back tomorrow **


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter Fifty-two**

Joey was the first to wake the next morning and he frowned feeling an unfamiliar weight pressing against him. He opened his eyes and looked down to find Lauren's head on his chest. One of her legs was thrown over his and one arm was draped over his waist. This was new. Normally girls didn't sleep over. He'd kick them out after he'd got what he wanted…not that he'd got what he truly wanted from Lauren last night, not completely. But what they'd done was pretty close. He'd watched her sleeping last night and she'd invoked feelings in him he didn't fully understand. He knew he fancied her, who wouldn't…well Jake obviously…moron that he was. He knew he felt very protective of her. And he also knew he would do everything he could to keep her safe. And yes he wanted to have sex with her. This was the reason he and Ricky started this bet in the first place. Her being married hadn't changed the goal as far as Joey was concerned, he couldn't speak for Ricky. He was hands down going to win this bet, but when he did…was he going to tell Ricky and claim the prize? Was he going to be able to just dump Lauren and walk away from her, knowing what he knew about her unhappy and somewhat volatile marriage to Jake? She was the first girl to have ever spent the night in his flat, in his bed and he wasn't sure how he felt about the situation. It didn't feel wrong…in fact the more he thought about it, it felt nice, having her lying in his arms. This was something he could definitely get used to. She stirred in her sleep and gave a soft moan. She opened her eyes and Joey felt her tense up as she realised where she was and what had happened last night.

'Sorry' she said sleepily and pulled away from him, moving onto her back, covering her eyes with one arm before rolling onto her side, her back to him. She swallowed. Events of the night before flooded her memory, making her feel awkward and self-conscious. Did she regret what had happened? Did Joey? Suddenly the happy glow she'd woken up with started to fade, she flipped back the covers and started to get out of bed.

'Where are you going?' Joey asked her softly.

'Bathroom' she told him. She padded barefoot across the room and stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Once inside the room she started to panic…her clothes were in the bedroom, on the chair, she should've thought to grab them when she went past. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to work out her next move. She needed her clothes if she was going to leave the flat and she knew she had to do that pretty fast. Counting to ten she opened the door again and walked over to the chair, grabbing her clothes before heading back to the bathroom, avoiding looking at Joey.

'You're getting dressed?' he asked her a hint of surprise in his voice.

'That's what you do when you get up. You get dressed' she replied standing in the doorway with her back to him.

'It's still early' Joey told her, pushing himself up onto his elbows. 'Come back to bed' he said patting the spot where she'd been laying. He saw her hesitate 'please?' she raised her head and turned to look at him and he could see mixed emotions in her eyes. She swallowed, putting her clothes back on the chair and walking back to the bed. Sitting down she pulled her legs up and lay down again. Joey flipped the covers over her. 'Did you sleep okay?' he asked her rolling over onto his side and looking down at her as she lay stiffly in the bed staring up at the ceiling.

'Yes' she whispered, not able to bring herself to look at him.

'Are you hungry? Do you want breakfast?'

'No...Thank you' she replied quietly.

Joey frowned 'Are you okay, babe? Do you regret what we did last night?' he asked her. She swallowed. 'Do you think I regret it?' he waited a beat for a reply but she didn't say anything 'because I don't' he told her 'it was amazing' he reminded her of her words 'wasn't it?' he prodded.

Lauren flipped the covers off and climbed out of bed 'I have to go…' she whispered. He watched her grab her clothes and flee once more into the bathroom. She dressed hurriedly, leaving the clothes she wore last night in the washing basket. Joey sat up in bed as he heard the bathroom door open.

'Lauren?' he said softly. She ignored him and walked out of the bedroom. A few minutes later he heard the door to the flat shut. Joey flopped back down on the bed his hands covering his face. He didn't have a clue what to do next but he knew that somehow he'd just managed to screw things up.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. The morning after the night before and things have taken yet another turn for the worse. What's wrong with Lauren? Did Joey did something? Maybe he pushed her too far? Leave me a review. Back later….if you're good with the reviews. **


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter Fifty-Three**

Once Lauren had let herself back into her house she raced up the stairs and into the bathroom. She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower, turning the water as hot as she could stand it.

She didn't understand why she felt the way she did this morning. Especially when last night Joey had made her feel incredible. But now…this morning, she felt tarnished somehow as though the things she'd let Joey to do her last night had made her dirty and cheap. She scrubbed at her skin until it was red, tears streaming down her face. She sat down in the bottom of the shower, bringing her knees up to her chest, resting her head on them as she cried brokenly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey showered and dressed and went to the café. He sat in a corner booth with his coffee staring into space as he silently contemplated what had happened that morning. Maybe he'd taken things with Lauren too far last night. Maybe he'd pushed her too far past her boundaries too quickly. He was more than aware she'd enjoyed herself last night, they both had, but now he felt guilty that perhaps he'd made her do more than she was comfortable with. He replayed the events over and over in his head and he couldn't remember her telling him to stop, in fact he remembered the complete opposite; she was encouraging him to continue. She wanted more. Didn't she? What if he'd missed something? What if she'd told him to stop and he was too wrapped up in the moment to have heard her? He felt the blood drain from his face as he considered the possibility.

'You all right, Joey?' Derek asked pulling out a chair and sitting down 'Joey?' he frowned at his son.

'Mmm? Yeah…fine, I'm fine' he said, blinking and looking up at his dad.

'Are you sure? Only you look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders' Derek said 'it might help for you to talk about it'

Joey looked up at him and shook his head 'there's nothing to talk about' he told him, picking up his coffee and taking a sip, grimacing at the cold liquid. He pulled a face and put the cup down. 'I'm sorry, dad. I need to go' he told him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren could hear someone banging on her front door from her seat on sofa. She stood up and walked to the door and was about to open it when she heard Joey's voice.

'Lauren, please I know you're in there' he called through the door 'please…let me in, we need to talk' he told her softly. She closed her eyes and leant up against the wall next to the door. 'Lauren, please…' she heard him sigh through the door and imagined he was running his hand over his chin 'I've been calling you…Babe…I'm sorry…Please open the door…' he pleaded with her. 'Lauren…' He pressed his head against the door, closing his eyes, realising she wasn't going to answer the door to him. Resigned to the fact he wasn't going to be able to talk to her, he turned away and walked down the path.

'Joey?' He looked up hearing his name being called across the square, he turned to see his Uncle Jack standing with Derek and Max. He glanced at Lauren's house once more before heading back to his flat.

'What's up with him?' Max frowned.

'Beats me' Derek shrugged. 'Said he didn't want to talk about it when I saw him earlier in the café.'

Jack frowned looking towards Lauren's house, he saw the door open and she stepped out and glanced across at Joey who'd just reached his doorstep. She shut the door and scurried off in another directions, shooting furtive glances over her shoulder at Joey.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jack was walking towards the club in the early evening and was surprised to see Lauren sitting at the War Memorial, a faraway look on her face. He knew she was supposed to be starting a shift in the club, he looked at his watch, correction; she should have started already.

'Lauren?' he walked over to her, 'sweetheart, is everything okay?' he crouched down in front of her.

She blinked at him 'Jack' she said his name quietly 'what are you doing here?' she asked surprised.

'I was on my way to the club' he replied 'why are you sitting out here?'

'I was just thinking before I started my shift…' she said 'what time is it?'

'6:30pm' he told her.

'Crap! I'm late!' she exclaimed, leaping up.

'Only fifteen minutes 'I'll walk in with you, tell them I was talking to you, gives you the perfect alibi' he grinned at her. They entered the club and descended the stairs 'look who I found daydreaming outside instead of working' he grinned as they walked towards the bar.

'Hey! Some alibi you turned out to be!' Lauren slapped his arm.

'Ouch! Hey I bruise easy!' he teased, laughing as he flinched away from her.

Joey chose that time to come up from the cellar with a crate of drinks, pausing as his eyes met Lauren's. Jack saw her face turn red. 'I should get behind the bar' she told him, she shrugged off her coat and left it on the end of the bar, moving down the narrow area behind the bar to check the ice cube buckets. She was relieved to see they were empty and picked them up, carrying them into the staffroom, seeking refuge in there for a little while. Placing the buckets on the side she opened the freezer and grabbed the bags and ripped them open. The ice cubes clattered noisily into the buckets distracting her from her scattered thoughts. When she'd filled them she left the empty packets on the side and closed the freezer. She scooped the ice buckets in her arms and carried them back through to the bar.

'Let me give you a hand with those' Joey said coming over to her and taking one of the buckets before she could protest. She sighed putting her bucket down next to his. 'Are you okay?' he asked her softly.

'No Ricky tonight?' she glanced around and saw the other barman was missing.

'We have to talk' Joey said ignoring her avoidance of the question. 'What happened this morning?' he frowned at her.

'This isn't the time or the place' she said softly.

'Later then? When our shifts over?' he asked her.

'Okay' she nodded her head.

**AN: Thanks for the reviews. I like the teasing relationship Jack has with Lauren. Looks like she's settled well into the Branning family. Well it looks as though Lauren has agreed to talk to Joey but is he going to like what she has to say? Is the beginning of the end? Leave me a review Back tomorrow **


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter Fifty-four**

Much to Joey's annoyance, his Uncle Jack hung around for the whole night and as they weren't that busy, Lauren spent most of her time talking to Jack. Both of them laughing and joking with each other like they were new best friends. Whilst Joey was pleased she seemed to be in a better mood than she'd been when she fled the flat this morning, he was unhappy she seemed to be doing everything she possibly could to avoid him. When closing time came he was even more pissed off when Jack offered to help the two of them, telling them they would get things done quicker. If Joey didn't know better he would've thought Jack was deliberating hanging around so the two of them couldn't be alone together. And even though Lauren agreed they'd talk later, she did nothing to dissuade Jack from helping. They had about another hour to go when Lauren went to the bathroom. When she returned Jack spoke. 'Why don't you go home Lauren?' Jack suggested 'Joey and I can finish up here, can't we Joey?' he looked at his nephew.

'We're good Jack, but if you're feeling tired you should take off' Lauren said, surprising Joey. 'Joey and I have a system…we'll be done in no time' she said 'you could probably do with your beauty sleep…old man…no offence' she said cheekily.

'Be faster with three' Joey muttered under his breath, emptying the glass washer. Lauren walked around behind the bar, picked up a cloth and started to dry the glasses next to Joey.

'All right, all right' Jack said rolling his eyes, 'I get when I'm not wanted' he said 'Well goodnight to you both' he said with a smile.

'Night Jack' Lauren grinned at him.

'Night' Joey mumbled.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

As Joey refilled the glass washer, Lauren poured them both a drink and carried it to their booth in the corner, she sat down waiting for Joey. Joey stared at her from behind the bar, hesitant to go over to her. Despite his earlier annoyance at Jack being here, he suddenly he wasn't sure it was best to face this demon. He shook his head gently, knowing it was silly to not deal with this now. 'So are we going to talk about this?' he asked, walking out from behind the bar and over to where she sat. He sat opposite her and picked up his drink, taking a sip from it as he tried to sort out his head a little. He looked at Lauren and saw she was avoiding his question as avidly as she'd been physically avoiding him earlier. 'I guess that's a no then…' he said, sighing as he took another sip of his drink.

'I guess I was just overwhelmed…' she said softly.

'It wasn't _**just**_ that, Lauren…' he told her, looking at her and seeing she was still avoiding him… this time it was eye contact. 'I've seen you overwhelmed before and this morning wasn't it… so are you going to tell me the truth?' he asked her.

'Do we have to do this now?' she whispered closing her eyes.

'You're the one who pushed Jack out of the club… who forced us to be alone so we could sort this out… I thought we were friends, Lauren?' he said, starting to get angry now. Why was she treating him as if he was a pariah? He'd gone through everything in his head time and time again, and he knew he hadn't overstepped the mark… he hadn't done anything she hadn't wanted him to do… he hadn't done anything bad to her… she'd wanted it as much as he had… she'd asked him for more… so why was she now treating him like a leper… like he wasn't worthy of her time. The more he thought about it the angrier he got. He slammed his glass down on the table and got up.

'Where are you going?' she asked.

'Well, there's no point in staying here if you aren't going to say anything, is there?' he said, heading towards the staffroom to collect his things.

'Joey, please don't go…I'm sorry I ...' He stopped in the middle of the club, and waited for her to speak, when she didn't say anything else he shook his head and disappeared into the staffroom. Lauren sighed, getting up as she heard him slamming his locker. She walked to the staffroom and stood in the doorway. 'Joey…' she said softly.

'What?' he snapped at her.

'I don't want you to leave' she whispered quietly.

'Are you going to talk to me then?' he asked her staring into his locker. She swallowed 'Are you going to tell me what it was I did wrong?' he asked as he turned and frowned at her. Surprised crossed her face and she shook her head.

'Joey, you didn't do anything wrong' she told him taking a step into the room. She crossed over to him and ran her hands up his chest. He grabbed her wrists and pushed her away from him. 'No, Lauren you don't get to do that' he shook his head 'I've spent all day thinking about what happened between us last night, trying to remember… worrying even… if I overstepped the mark, or if I missed you telling me to stop and you know what? I can't' he frowned at her 'you were into it just as much as I was' he snapped at her 'and then this morning you act the way you did…I came over to see you and you refused to come to the door'

'I know…I'm sorry. I wanted to open the door, Joey, I did, but I didn't know what to say to you…how to explain…' she frowned at him 'I needed a little time to get my head together…'

'Well, clearly you need more time so I'll tell you what…whatever the hell this is, it doesn't happen anymore okay? It's over' he pushed past her and walked towards the stairs. Lauren turned, staring after him.

'Joe…Joey...?' she felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. They heard the door to the club open and close.

'It's only me' Jack called out.

Lauren turned and walked back to the table in the club, brushing her tears quickly away with her fingers, she sat down and took a large mouthful of her drink. 'You forget something, Jack?' Joey asked him. Jack nodded his head

'Yeah as a matter of fact I did' he told him 'Sharon asked me to pick up a manila folder from the office' he said and he looked over at Lauren, seeing the two drinks at the table. 'Oh…so this is why you wanted me out of the way? Little post work drinks?' he teased Joey as he went through to the office. He returned moments later with the manila folder, 'everything okay here?' he said looking between the two of them.

'Yeah everything's fine' Joey said quickly.

'Were you about to leave?' Jack asked, noticing Joey held his jacket in his hands.

'No. I was just checking where I'd put the safe keys' Joey lied smoothly.

'Lauren, you okay?' he looked over at her. Joey held his breath and he put his coat on the bar and walked back over to her, 'she just had a coughing fit…drink went down the wrong way, right, Lauren?' he asked her

'Mmhmm' Lauren nodded her head and coughed. Joey rolled his eyes at her pathetic attempt at a cough as he sat down.

'Oh… you need to be more careful' Jack told her. 'I guess I should head home. See you both later…do you want me to lock you in?'

'Please' Joey nodded his head, calling out a 'see you later, Jack' as his uncle climbed the stairs.

Joey released the breath he was holding when he heard Jack shut the door. He picked up his drink and drank half of it down. 'Are you ready to tell me the truth now?' Joey asked her.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews **** It's funny how Joey wanted them talk and now that Jack's gone he doesn't? Is Joey actually bothered about what has upset her or is he manipulating her to get what he wants? Well I guess you'll have to find out tomorrow! Unless you really want another chapter tonight…if you do you know what to do. Leave me a review. **


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter Fifty-Five**

Lauren raised her eyes to look at him 'I don't want us to be over' she said quietly. 'I like what we have'. Joey thought he'd started to make some progress with her, since she was no longer avoiding eye contact with him. But that didn't mean to say he was going to make things easy for her, not after he'd been in turmoil all day and night.

'Do you? Because it didn't feel like that this morning' he said to her, he put his glass on table. 'You couldn't get out of the flat quick enough' he reminded her.

'I know…I…' she licked her lips 'I woke up and I felt good…better than good' she told him 'and you didn't do anything I didn't want you to do, that I didn't enjoy…what you did felt so good, Joey…and I've never felt…Jake never…' she trailed off feeling her cheeks flush, she picked up her drink and took a sip, buying herself more time to straighten out the words she wanted to say in her head. She decided she wanted some ice so she slipped out of the chair and walked behind the bar, dropping a couple of ice cubes into her glass before topping it up.

'But…' he prompted her when she returned to her seat.

She took a deep breath 'but I'd understand if you want to end things' she told him quietly, throwing the ball firmly back into his court. Joey sighed, 'you're used to more experienced girls anyway so…' she shrugged, her words fading away to nothing.

'Is that what this is all about? Your inexperience?' he asked her. She shrugged again. 'Look at me, Lauren.' She swallowed and slowly raised her eyes to his. 'Have I said anything about your inexperience?' she shook her head 'have I tried to push you into doing something you didn't want to?' Again she shook her head. Joey watched as two tears rolled down her cheeks, she dashed them away with the back of her hand 'does this have something to do with Jake?' he asked her 'because you know I'm nothing like him, don't you?' she nodded her head as more tears fell. 'Hey…babe...' he got up and crouched down beside her, putting his hand on her thigh and squeezing gently 'what is it?' he asked her beginning to feel worried about her and guilty for being upset with her. If whatever it was that was bothering her was getting her this upset he hated to think he'd added to it by being shitty with her. He reached up and brushed a tear away gently with the back of his knuckles. 'Do you want to go back to mine?' he asked her softly.

'We haven't finished clearing up' her voice was thick with tears and it made him feel worse.

'Do you think I care about that right now?' he rolled his eyes at her 'right now all I care about is you' he told her. He stood up and took her hands in his, pulling her to her feet. 'Come on, let's go' he said softly. He put his arm around her, grabbing his coat as they walked past the bar. He led her up the stairs and draped his jacket around her shoulders as they walked the short distance to his flat.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Once inside he slipped his coat off her shoulders and tossed it towards the sofa. 'Do you hate me?' she asked, looking up at him with her sad tear filled eyes.

'No, baby' he shook his head, 'of course not. Why would you think that? Because I was cross with you?' she nodded her head and sniffed, 'I was cross with you because I was confused and worried and upset…you wouldn't talk to me…I thought we could talk about anything? I thought we trusted each other?' he asked her.

'I do trust you…' she sobbed, a fresh cascade of tears rolling down her cheeks.

'Hey. Hey, now' Joey said sliding his arms around her, pulling her against him. She sobbed brokenly against his chest. He could feel her warm tears soaking through his shirt; he rubbed her back gently with his hands. He wasn't going to push her to tell him tonight, maybe in the morning she'd be in a better frame of mind and be able to tell him what'd happened when she woke up. 'Sssh…it's okay, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere' he whispered next to her ear 'I don't want you to worry about that okay?'

A few minutes later her crying had subsided a little and she pulled back to look at him, her eyes were red and swollen, her face blotchy and her nose was running. Joey smiled down at her, thinking to himself that even now, she looked beautiful.

'When…when Jake…' she frowned 'afterwards…he tells me he shouldn't have wasted his time with me…he tells me I'm disgusting and useless…I hate him touching me…he makes me feel dirty…and when I woke up this morning...' she trailed off. Joey didn't need her to finish the sentence.

'You felt dirty' he whispered.

'Yes' she replied, her worried eyes staring into his.

'He's really done a number on you hasn't he, hey?' he said almost to himself as he tucked her hair behind her ear. 'He has a lot to answer for' he let her go, cupping her face in his hands. 'You are a beautiful and very sexy woman, Lauren' he told her 'I know you don't think you are, but trust me, you are' he told her softly. 'What we shared last night wasn't dirty' he told her 'I loved every single second of it. I loved touching you, loved you touching me. I loved watching your face as I made you come, I loved you making me come' he told her. 'I loved the fact you trusted me enough to be the first person to ever make you come by touching you like that…and you enjoyed it didn't you?'

'Yes' she nodded in agreement, her cheeks flushing slightly as she remembered last night.

'See there…the way you blush….sexy' he narrowed his eyes and wrinkled his nose as he said it, which Lauren also thought was sexy. 'I never ever want you to feel that way about anything we've done...or that we will do. Sex isn't dirty, Lauren' Joey shook his head. 'And you aren't a waste of time, babe. I promise you' he said softly, pulling her back into his arms. 'I would happily spend every single second of every single day in bed with you, making you scream my name over and over again' he told her honestly. 'And no, I'm not just saying that' his lips brushed across her forehead. Lauren raised her head to look up at him. 'In fact…' he said taking her hands and leading her towards the bedroom.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews **** So what do you think of this chapter? Is Joey being super manipulative? Or is he developing feelings for Lauren? Leave me a review. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow. **


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter Fifty-six**

When Lauren woke the next morning, she found she was wrapped in Joey's arms, like she'd been the morning before, just a different position today. His chest was pressed against her back. Her bladder protested and as much as she tried to ignore it to prolong this moment, the need for the bathroom became urgent.

Lauren eased herself out of his arms and tip-toed through to the bathroom. She used the facilities and as she was washing her hands she looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. She felt better this morning. She went back into the bedroom and climbed back into the bed, glancing at the bedside clock as she did. It was only 7:00am. She settled herself back against the pillows, looking up at the ceiling before she turned her head to look at Joey. She'd gone through so many emotions in the last 24 hours, her feelings had also gone through the wringer. But she had to say she felt better now than she did this time yesterday.

After they'd talked last night, Joey had comforted her. He then told her she was staying the night again and if she was truthful there was nowhere else she'd rather be. He'd made good on his promise too she remembered. By the end of the night she was screaming his name as he once again gave her new experiences and took her to new heights of pleasure.

Joey had leant her some more of his clothes to sleep in and allowed her to use the bathroom first to change. She was settled in the bed when Joey came back and she saw him smile at her. 'I could get used to seeing you there' he told her, surprising himself with the honesty of his words. He got into bed and reached for her, drawing her into a soft tender kiss.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

'What are you doing?' his voice startled her momentarily, pulling her away from her thoughts.

'Nothing' she replied quietly.

'Are you watching me sleep?' he cracked open one eye to look at her.

'No…yes…maybe' she said biting back a smile. Joey smiled, closing his eye again, stretching before her opened his eyes fully.

'Morning' he whispered.

'Morning' she replied.

'How do you feel this morning?' he asked her.

A faint blush covered her face 'good' she said softly. Joey's fingers grazed her cheek.

'So I should take the fact you haven't fled as a good sign?' he asked her gently.

'I would' she said seriously nodding her head.

'Yeah?' he asked with another smile 'that's good then. Are you hungry?' he laughed when her stomach rumbled loudly as if in response to his question. 'How does eggs and bacon sound? Maybe some toast and orange juice?' he suggested

'Sounds good' she replied as her mouth watered 'I'm starving'

'I'll bet' he replied 'Come on you can help me cook and then we will come back to bed to eat'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Later, full from their breakfast they lay in bed together. Lauren's head on his chest, Joey absentmindedly playing with her hair.

'So what are we going to do all day?' Lauren asked him softly.

'Whatever you want to, babe' he replied. 'I'm more than happy just to lay here like this'

Lauren smiled to herself. They hadn't even had sex yet and Joey wanted to "snuggle". She hadn't really known what snuggling was only what she'd read in teenage magazines and then later women's magazines…in fact her knowledge of sex came mostly from said magazines…she knew what there was to know, just never having put any of it into practice, she was somewhat a novice. Well up until now that was, thanks to Joey she had put some of it into practice. She giggled softly.

'What's so funny?' he asked her, tilting his head to look at her, she shook her head.

'Nothing' she whispered softly. 'Can we see Alice?' she asked him

'Yeah if that's what you want to do' he nodded his head 'I'll give her ring. See what she's up to today' Joey told her, she moved off him to let him reach for his phone. Listening to the one sided conversation with his sister. As soon as he hung up, his phone rang again. 'It's Jake' he told Lauren. He frowned and they both sat up, he watched as her thumb moved to her mouth and she chewed worriedly on the nail 'Jake what's up?' Joey answered the call. 'Yes, she's fine' Lauren again listened to the one sided conversation. 'Okay, yeah it's fine. I'm going out with my sister today so I'll just take Lauren along with me' he replied 'Sure' Joey stayed silent for a long time, listening to whatever it was Jake was telling him. 'All right, well then I guess we'll see you in a couple of days' he told him. 'Yeah, I'll tell her, although giving her a new phone would help…good I'll sort it' Joey nodded her head 'Yeah bye' he disconnected the call and put the phone on the bedside table.

'What did he say?' Lauren asked him.

'He won't be back for another couple of days' Joey told her 'asked me to keep an eye on you. Pick up a new phone for you' he told her 'and we're meeting Al at lunch time in the Vic and then we're going up the West End'

'We are?' Lauren asked him

Joey nodded his head 'Yeah she wants to go shopping for something for dad's birthday which also means she wants more shoes' he said with a knowing smile. 'Then I thought maybe we'd get a bite to eat. Go to the movies' he said to her.

'Really?' Lauren asked him a smile brightening her face.

'Mmmhmm. You like that idea, huh?' he asked her.

She nodded her head 'but we're not going until lunch time?' she asked him

'Nope. I said we'd meet Al in the Vic at 12:30pm' Lauren smiled and wriggled back down in the bed, Joey did the same, she moved into his arms again and he resumed playing with her hair.

Neither of them spoke, both of them were lot in their thoughts. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, they were both content just to be with each other.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well it seemed like Joey was all caring and sweet and then he gets her into bed again! Is the bet all that's on his mind or do things run deeper than that? I may be persuaded to post another chapter if I have 25 review before 8:30….so leave me a review. **


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter Fifty-Seven**

Lauren met Joey and Alice in the Vic for lunch after going home to shower and get changed. She was late and Alice frowned at her. 'Your time keeping sucks' she told her playfully.

'Yeah, I know I'm sorry, I got distracted' she said slipping into the booth next to Alice.

'Well, we've ordered for you. Burger and chips okay?' she looked at Lauren

'Yes, sounds great' Lauren nodded her head and smiled. 'Where's Joey?'

'He's gone to the bar to get drinks' Alice replied. Lauren glanced up but couldn't see him.

'So, what are you thinking about getting Derek for his birthday?' Lauren asked her.

'I was thinking about a tie or some shirts…' Alice frowned 'dad's kind of hard to buy for'

'Well he likes antique books doesn't he?' Lauren suggested 'he has a collection of first editions… I think he said he's been looking for a first edition of Moby Dick'

'There are some old collector's book stores in the West End' Alice said with smile.

'When is his birthday?'

'June 26th'

'That's a month away' Lauren said 'which leaves us plenty of time to look for the book online if it's not in any of the stores' she said to her.

'You'll help me?' Alice asked her with a smile.

'Of course I will, that's what friends do right?' Joey came back as the two girls hugged and giggled.

'What are you two scheming?' he sat down, placing the drinks on the table.

'Lauren's made a brilliant suggestion for dad's birthday present. A first edition of Moby Dick'

'Yeah? That's a great idea' Joey said picking up his bottle of beer and taking a drink 'not just a pretty face are you?' he winked at her. She smiled back at him, her face glowing at her compliment.

'When's your birthday?' Alice asked her.

'July 27th' Lauren replied shyly 'so how long is the food going to be. I'm starving' she said changing the subject.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey sat next to Alice on the train to the West End. As Lauren listened to them talk she gazed out of the window and her thoughts turned to the night before.

Joey was kissing her softly, tenderly, whispering to her how beautiful she was, how turned he was and that was all because of her, no one else. He'd pushed her t-shirt up slightly so that her stomach was exposed but her breasts were still covered. He'd placed tiny kisses on her stomach as one hand slid slowly higher. His eyes watched her as his hand disappeared under her t-shirt and covered her breast. His thumb brushed over her nipple and she gave a soft moan, her back arching up off the bed. His tongue dipped into her belly button and she giggled, squirming beneath him. He raised his head and smiled at her. 'Are you ticklish?' he asked her.

'No' she said shaking her head, clearly lying. He grinned at her.

'Are you sure?' his fingers wriggled at her sides and she squealed and squirmed beneath him. 'I think you just told me a fib!' he said laughing.

He pressed a kiss to her lips and she laughed 'Okay, okay, I'm ticklish' she giggled.

'That's good to know' Joey whispered pressing another soft kiss to her lips. 'I can use it to my advantage when I want you to agree to do something' he said to her.

'Like what?' Lauren asked him.

'Work my shift. Cover me so I can go home early…' he grinned at her. 'I could even get you to clean my flat' he teased her. As she thought about that an image of Jake standing over her while she cleaned the bathroom at the house with a tooth brush popped into her mind, causing her to tense. She frowned, pushing Joey away and sat upright suddenly.

Joey frowned. 'Hey, kitten…are you okay?' Joey asked her, sitting up beside her and kissing her shoulder. She turned her gaze to Joey and as she looked into his eyes she felt the sudden anxiousness she was feeling slowly ebb away. She smiled at him.

'Yeah' she nodded 'I am now' she replied, causing Joey to smile back at her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

They disembarked the train and Lauren walked between Alice and Joey, every now and then she would feel Joey's hand brush against hers, or his hand move to her lower back as he guided her through the crowds. They headed for the antique book shops first and in the third shop, and only an hour and a half later they'd found what they'd been looking for. Lauren announced she was thirsty so she went to the coffee shop next door to the book shop and got a drink. Joey and Alice told her they needed to go and get something for her birthday and left her at the coffee shop.

Lauren sat at a table in the corner with her latte. Her mind drifted back once more to the events of last night. After Joey had finished tickling her and teasing her, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her with a hunger and passion she'd never felt before. 'Do you trust me?' he whispered against her lips when he broke the kiss.

'Yes' she replied softly.

'Good. I want to make you come again' he told her. 'Using my tongue'

Lauren blinked at him, a little taken aback at his suggestion. She really wasn't sure about this, but then again she hadn't been sure about anything Joey had done, but the end result had left her feeling amazing each and every time. Watching her face, Joey's hands slid to her waist and he pushed down the boxer shorts and knickers she was wearing, drawing them off her ankles, tossing them towards the end of the bed, leaving her lower half naked. He glanced up at her and she swallowed nervously. Lauren fought every urge she had to pull the T-shirt down her body, hiding herself from his view. She was longing to do it... but at the same time there was a little bit of her that was intrigued as to what he was going to do now. So instead she watched as he sat near her knees, his eyes running down her body. He'd been staring into her eyes when he took her underwear off... there was so much heat in his eyes and now as they ran down her body she could feel that heat warming her. She felt truly desired, all of the pure unadulterated love and lust on his face as his eyes locked on her intimate area showed that to her. She felt an equal mix of uncomfortable and powerful... with a small tinge of embarrassment thrown into the mix. He surprised her then, his mouth pressing against hers as his hand brushed her thigh, sending electricity through her whole body. She knew his promise to her was going to happen and she tried to work out how she felt about that. Again her emotions were torn on the subject... she was unsure if she should feel repulsed by what he was about to do or if she was turned on by it. She had an inkling it was going to be the latter but that would remain to be seen.

A moan slipped from her as Joey pulled a nipple into his mouth through her top, his tongue teasing the peak and making her toes curl. Intense pleasure was already making its presence known. He switched breasts and Lauren couldn't help but hold his head against her body, feeling the chuckle from him as she did so. She knew he was more than aware she was liking what he was doing to her. He surprised her as he moved lower, his hands pushing her top slightly higher as he kissed all over her stomach. Her hand was still on the back of his head and for the life of her she couldn't get her body to respond so she could move it back onto the mattress.

Joey's lips travelled lower and Lauren screwed her eyes tightly shut. She'd read about this in those blessed magazines, but never had anyone do this to her. Until now that is…

Joey kissed the inside of her thighs gently. She felt his hot breath on her intimate area and then a soft tentative touch of his tongue, followed by another. He moaned softly and she opened one eye and peeked. Seeing his head between her thighs made her feel a bit weird, but with another flick of his tongue she was pretty close to becoming a pile of goo beneath him.

Moments later she was even closer to orgasm and she was panting and groaning. Lauren's fingers tightened in his hair as his tongue continued to work her into a frenzy. She was writhing and moaning beneath him now, her orgasm so close and yet so far away as she strived to reach her peak. She needed more.

'Oh God…Joey…please' she whimpered to him. Taking pity on the beauty beneath him, Joey doubled his efforts, his tongue thrusting into her wet folds, the sweet musky taste of her like nectar. He lapped at her eagerly and was rewarded by a long soft moan. He was pretty sure by the time this was over he may be scalped but the fact she was enjoying this so much spurred him on. His tongue moved to her clit and after a few flicks with his tongue she exploded around him. She screamed his name loudly as she came. She tried to push him away, feeling too sensitive and overwhelmed but Joey wanted to make sure she fully reaped the rewards of what he was doing, working her through her orgasm and swallowing down her juices as she came.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey smiled as he watched Lauren from outside the coffee shop. She had a faraway look on her face and a secretive smile. He let himself into the coffee shop, telling Alice to order for them both and he made his way over to Lauren.

'You look lost in thought' Joey said slipping into the seat next to her, his hand moving under the table to squeeze her thigh 'thinking about anything good?' he smiled knowingly.

'As a matter of fact yes' she nodded her head and smiled. She glanced at the counter to see Alice deep in conversation with the assistant, she turned her head towards Joey and smiled at him. 'Last night' she told him, biting her lips as his head met his.

'Oh…yes that was a good night' he told her 'we can repeat it tonight if you wanted…' he trailed off with a smile as Alice came over to the table with a tray of their drinks and food.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Whilst the girls were shopping for shoes, Joey snuck off telling them he'd got a couple of chores of his own to do and they made arrangements to meet at the restaurant later. The girls were laughing and joking together when he left them. By the time Joey met them again they'd drunk a couple of glasses of wine and were both very giggly and a little tipsy. He checked his pocket making sure the jewellery box was safe and wouldn't fall out. He couldn't wait to see Lauren's face when she opened her gift on her birthday.

'Okay I'm cutting you two off' he told them taking a seat next to Lauren. 'Let's get some food inside the two of you. I do not want to get kicked out of the cinema because you two are drunk' he scolded them both playfully.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

By the time the three of them got home, Lauren and Alice had made various plans to see movies and they both discovered they shared a love of Kings of Leon and were excited to hear they were playing at the O2 Arena the day after Lauren's birthday. After fifteen minutes of begging by Alice, Joey agreed to take them both under the agreement that Alice pay him for her ticket. He wasn't made of money. When she protested he told her he was buying Lauren's ticket as a birthday present and the two of them would happily go without her. When Alice looked to Lauren for support she simply nodded her head and agreed she would kill to go to Kings Of Leon, and would therefore feel no guilt leaving Alice behind. The two girls giggled and whispered on the way home, looking at Joey every now and again and then giggling some more. Joey rolled his eyes and tried to drown them out. Although he had to admit it was good to see Lauren so happy and enjoying herself. He also knew that if she asked him he'd gladly agree to pay for Alice's ticket too.

Lauren rushed to the bathroom as they got back to the flat, finding Joey in the kitchen when she returned. 'You can't still be hungry?' she said shocked 'not after everything you've eaten today'

'I'm a growing boy' Joey told her 'and no, I'm not looking for food, I'm looking for a bottle of wine. I thought it would be nice to sit down and relax with a bottle of wine before we went to bed' he said.

'Mmm, a nice cold glass of wine sounds delicious' she said to him as she walked into the room. 'Thanks for today, Joey' she told him 'I had a really great time. I feel guilty you had to pay for everything for me though' she said to him softly.

Joey found the wine and put it on the side, turning to look at her. 'What can I say? I like the look on your face when I buy things for you' he said softly. 'I like treating you' he shrugged 'it makes me feel good' he told her. 'I especially loved the look on your face when I said I'd pay for your Kings Of Leon ticket for example' he said 'the look of sheer excitement and joy on your face…that's all the thanks I need'

'I had thought about thanking you in a different way but if you're happy with the excitement and joy on my face then…' she shrugged casually, opening the cupboard door and reaching for the wine glasses.

'What different way?' Joey asked her, taking her wrist and pulling her to face him.

'Well, I was thinking about maybe doing this?' she said softly as she reached up and pressed a soft chaste kiss to his lips 'and then may be this' she pressed her lips to his jaw 'and then this' she kissed his neck, he felt her tongue caress his skin as she peppered his neck with small kisses, before moving her lips back to his jaw 'and then I thought about this' she said sliding her hands up his chest to circle them behind his neck, her tongue traced the seam of his lips before she kissed him again, pushing her tongue into his mouth. Joey's hands moved to her back and he pulled her closer to him as the kiss deepened, liking that Lauren was leading what they were doing.

They were both breathless when the kiss ended and Lauren looked up at Joey. 'Well, I think I like your way better' he whispered to her.

'I thought you might' she said, taking his hand and leading him into the lounge. She moved down onto the sofa, pulling him down with her. The bottle of wine temporarily forgotten.

**AN: Thanks for your review. I'm glad you are all enjoying TBB! So Lauren and Joey spent the day with Alice and fun was had and he brought her tickets to see Kings Of Leon! I wonder what it was that Joey brought?! Leave me a review back tomorrow xx**


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter Fifty-Eight**

'Why don't we take this somewhere a little more comfortable, move on to the next level?' he murmured against her lips, pulling away to look at her. Lauren could see the desire in his eyes, the promise of more and from what Joey had showed her already of "more" she liked it. She licked her lips and nodded her head.

'Yes' she whispered.

Joey eased himself off the sofa, holding out his hands to her and then pulled her gently to her feet and into his arms. He kissed her as he walked her backwards towards the bedroom. Her head was spinning and her heart was pounding in her chest at the next step she was about to take. She wanted Joey…she wanted him badly, but she was still afraid of being intimate with someone…even though she trusted Joey implicitly. He broke the kiss to look at her, 'why don't you get yourself comfortable? I'm just going to use the bathroom' he told her softly.

'Okay' she whispered against his lips. Joey winked at her as he disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

*JB*JB*JB*JB*

Joey came out of the bathroom, surprised to find Lauren already under the bed covers, he glanced at the chair and saw all her clothes were folded neatly on the chair, even her knickers. She was naked in his bed. He looked at her and saw she was clutching the duvet so tightly under her chin that her knuckles were white. So much for Joey taking things slowly. He smiled at her, shaking his head at her. She looked absolutely terrified.

'You're keen, babe' he said trying to make light of the situation.

'You said…' she trailed off her face flaming bright red as she realised she'd completely misinterpreted his words before he went into the bathroom. When he'd said let's take this to the bedroom, this clearly wasn't what he meant. He hadn't expected to find her naked under the duvet when he came out of the bathroom that was apparent if the surprised look on his face was anything to go by. She knew Joey had seen her half naked before, but she felt incredibly self-conscious about her body not to mention incredibly nervous, and now throw humiliation into the mix and she wished that a black hole would open up and swallow her. She closed her eyes, feeling stupid and naïve, 'S…sorry' she whispered. She would've got out of bed had it not been for the fact she'd left her clothes on the chair the other side of the room. So, for now…she was stuck.

'Hey' Joey said softly 'it's okay, I was just looking forward to undressing you, that's all' he told her as he walked towards the bed, he pulled his t-shirt over his head as Lauren mentally kicked herself over and over for her stupid naive mistake. She felt well and truly embarrassed and she couldn't help the tears or the tiny sob that escaped her. 'Oh no, babe!' Joey dropped his shirt onto the floor climbing onto the bed, 'don't cry' he said softly 'it gives me something to look forward to next time' he said, making a mental note to swap the duvet for sheets for next time.

'I've messed things up' she said covering her hands with her face.

'No, baby, you haven't' he whispered, prising her hands off her face 'you haven't ruined anything' he reassured her, shaking his head, 'don't cry' he told her. She looked into his eyes and he smiled at her 'I want you' he told her firmly 'You know I fancy you, and I want to have sex with you' he said to her. 'If you're not ready for tonight to be the first time we have sex, that's okay' he told her.

She swallowed and she nodded her head 'I want to' she whispered. The room fell silent as they both heard the uncertainty in her voice.

'You can say stop at any point and we will, okay?' he asked her, she nodded her head again, not trusting her voice not to give away her anxiety. Joey pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose and she smiled at him tentatively as he stood up again. Lauren's mouth was practically watering as she let her eyes wander over his chest down to his six pack. Her eyes moved lower just as Joey pulled down his boxer shorts, widening slightly as she saw the size of his cock. She closed her eyes and swallowed as the nervousness and foolishness washed over her in waves again. He was bigger than Jake…from what she could remember anyway, she felt her cheeks grow hot as she thought about it. All the insecurities and self-doubt from earlier came flooding back to her. The years of put downs by Jake running through her head. What was she doing here? Why would someone as good looking as Joey find her even remotely attractive? He could have his pick of any girl, he'd had many girls, so she couldn't understand why he was slumming it with her. She remembered the time she'd seen Joey in the alleyway near the club with a girl, she shuddered as she remembered how rough he was with her and she wondered if he would be that way tonight. That thought scared her even more. She took a shaky breath and opened her eyes as she felt Joey climb back onto the bed. She was naked, Joey was naked and all that was separating them was a thin cotton duvet. She could feel the heat from his body seeping through the fabric as he leant over her. He brushed his nose against hers and kissed her, a soft tentative chaste kiss. Much different from the heated kisses they'd shared on the sofa a scant few minutes earlier. He gazed down at her and brushed his knuckles over her cheek lightly, 'are you okay?' he asked her, she managed a non-committal shrug 'we don't have to do this tonight' he told her again.

She chewed on her bottom lip 'I'm just worried I'll disappoint you…'

'You won't' he told her 'I know you won't' Joey shook his head 'you haven't done so far'

'Really?' he hated how surprised she sounded.

'Really' Joey confirmed, nodding his head 'and tonight isn't going to be any different' he whispered pressing his lips against hers 'trust me' he told her softly 'you remember how it felt when I gave you your first orgasm?'

'Yes' she nodded her head, Joey kissed her softly,

'And how did it feel?' he asked her, moving slightly on the bed so he was leaning over her, one arm either side of her.

'Good' she whispered against his lips. 'Really good'

'And what about the second one?' he asked after a few more soft kisses.

'Better' she replied, her voice was still shaky.

'And the third?'

Lauren smiled 'Even better' she told him.

'So when I told you each time you orgasm it would feel even better than the last time, was I lying?' he asked her punctuating each word with a kiss to her neck.

'No' Lauren whispered.

'And did I come each time you did?' he whispered in her ear.

'Yes' she tilted her head to one side to give him better access to her neck.

'And when we were on the couch earlier…were you enjoying what we were doing?'

'Mmhmm' she murmured as his hand covered her breast over the top of the duvet.

'We're doing exactly what we did there…here…just with a lot less clothes on' he moved his lips to hers. Her hands moved to his shoulders, feeling the rippling toned muscles beneath her fingertips as the earlier warm tingly sensations she'd been feeling began to flow through her again. Joey felt her responding to his kisses and caresses, he felt her relaxing beneath him and he broke the kiss and smiled down at her. 'You know at some point you're going to have to let go of the covers' he said softly as he kissed her bare shoulder.

'I…I know…Can you turn the light off…please?' she asked him.

'Sure' Joey rolled onto his side, closing his eyes as he wondered if this was a good idea after all…He imagined Ricky laughing his ass off as Joey told him about his night with Lauren. That it turned out to be an epic fail and a huge waste of time. He walked to the light switch on the wall and turned out the light, the room was plunged into total darkness. 'How about I put the bathroom light on?' he asked her 'that way we'll be able to see our hands in front of our faces' he suggested.

'Okay' Lauren agreed quietly, although she preferred the pitch black.

'Ouch! Shit!' he cursed loudly 'Ouch! Fuck!'

'What?' Lauren sat up clutching the duvet to her chest. The bathroom light clicked on and she saw Joey hopping on one foot.

'I stubbed my toe' he told her.

'Sorry' she said and she giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.

'Hey, it's not funny' Joey told her with a frown 'it really hurts' he turned his back on her and opened the drawer under the sink and closed it again.

'I'm sorry…you're right it's not funny' she said giggling harder, Joey looked at her and narrowed his eyes at her.

'Oh you think this is funny do you?' he asked her, she nodded her head. Joey smiled as he walked across the room, he climbed on the bed and launched himself at her, tickling her through the duvet.

She squealed loudly and giggled hysterically, squirming to get away from him, Lauren's giggling was infectious and soon Joey was laughing with her. 'Please stop! Please!' she shrieked 'please Joey!'

'Apologise for laughing at me' he chuckled.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' she wriggled away from him, unaware that during the struggle the duvet had moved to her waist, Joey however was fully aware. 'I'm sorry' she said getting her breath back.

'Apology accepted' Joey said softly, bending his head to kiss her. She felt his tongue taste her lips and she opened for him automatically, their tongues danced together and she shifted closed to him, Joey put his hands on her waist urging her closer. Lauren shivered feeling his hands on her naked skin. She felt her bare breasts press against his chest and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Joey started to move her onto her back sliding the hand at her waist under the covers as he did so, pushing it and then flicking it out of the way before moving his lips to her neck and throat. She arched up against him as his hand slid to her thigh. Somewhere in the back of her mind the little anxious voice of her subconscious whispered that she was naked and about to have sex with a man who wasn't her husband. It also whispered to her she wasn't good at sex and she'd be a huge disappointment to him. Lauren tensed suddenly in Joey's arms and he trailed his kisses lower, his mouth closing over the peak of her breast at the same time his fingers delved between her thighs. She gasped at the sensation of his warm mouth on her nipple, the wetness of his tongue as he licked and sucked her peak, combined with the gentle probing of his fingers between her legs and she was lost. She wanted this. She wanted him. She wanted sex with Joey. Her earlier doubts, fears and insecurities were momentarily forgotten about.

Joey moaned, he was pleasantly surprised to find her already wet, he switched to her neglected breast and she arched off the bed as his mouth closed over her nipple, her fingers slid into his hair, holding his head in place as she gave a soft breathy moan of contentment. He pressed his fingers against her opening and she gasped again. Joey's lips trailed over the fullness off her breast, along her collar bone, to the crook of her neck before he kissed her throat, she felt his breath at her ear.

'Do you like that babe?' he whispered as he pushed his fingers inside her with ease

'Yes' she breathed 'oh god yes'

Joey smiled, sucking on her earlobe, before pressing his lips to her neck again.

Joey was eager to be inside her, to finally be getting what he'd desired and craved since the first time he'd set eyes on Lauren Cross. Of course, what was about to happen had nothing to do with a certain bet he'd made with Ricky. Despite what he'd told Lauren about their relationship staying between the two of them, there was a part of him that couldn't wait to make his friend pay up for losing this bet. He removed his fingers and groped for the condom on the bed. Finding it, he ripped the packet open and slid the condom on before hooking her knee over his legs, rolling her so she was beneath him, her legs automatically moving to accommodate him. She felt pressure at her entrance and she screwed her eyes tightly shut.

'Don't tense up on me now, Lauren' Joey shifted slightly so he was looking down at her 'I promise you this is going to be amazing…for both of us' he whispered softly, pushing his hips forward. He felt himself enter her slowly and groaned at the sensations she was invoking in him. If it was anyone else other than Lauren beneath him he would've just plunged inside them and begun fucking them in earnest. Lauren was different, she was making him feel things he'd never felt before…strange feelings he couldn't describe. He didn't want hard and fast with her, not this time at least, maybe next time. And there would be a next time of that he was certain. This time he wanted slow, tender. He didn't want to fuck her, he wanted to make love to her.

Lauren felt a little pain as he eased inside her. She knew he was being gentle with her but that didn't stop the slight pinch of pain she was feeling. She raised her head and kissed him, pushing her tongue between his lips, mimicking what their lower bodies were doing. She could feel him stretching her, filling her in a way Jake never had. Joey seemed to be touching every part of her and she couldn't get enough, her hands moved over his back to his buttocks and she urged him closer. He sank deeper into her and kept moving until he was fully seated inside her. She broke the kiss and gave a tiny cry of delight and surprise at just how deeply he filled her. He stayed still for a few moments, looking down at her face to see if he was hurting her. She was so tight around him he was certain she would feel some pain, on the other hand she was very wet before he even attempted to enter her. He watched her face as he withdrew slowly to the tip and pushed forward again, holding her gaze as he watched the wonder in her eyes, he withdrew again to the tip, pressing forward once more.

He continued at his slow gentle pace and Lauren arched her back against him as the warmth between her thighs spread toward her feet and head at the same time. Thanks to Joey she knew now what this feeling was and it was far more powerful than any of the other orgasms he'd given her. She clutched his back tightly, her fingers digging into the flesh.

'AH..OH…JOEY!' she gasped.

Joey's breathing was hard and fast as he felt himself rushing to his release, but he wanted Lauren to come first and she was almost there, he slid one hand between their bodies, finding her clit with his fingers he began to rub it in time with the thrust of their hips.

Pinpricks of light exploded behind Lauren's eyelids as her orgasm hit, she clutched at Joey tightly, her back arching off the bed, her mouth open as she repeated Joey's name over and over again like a mantra. He felt her clench around him hard, rippling as her orgasm hit, pushing him over the edge. He came hard and fast…gasping at the ferocity of climax. He rested his head on her shoulder when he felt pulse after pulse as he filled the condom. When they'd both recovered slightly he raised his head and he kissed her softly.

'So I guess Hell has just frozen over' he said with a teasing smile.

Lauren looked at him, remembering she'd told him months before that Hell would freeze over before she slept with him 'yeah, I guess it has' she said with a giggle.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Returning to the bed after disposing of the used condom, Joey smiled as she rolled over and snuggled up to him, he turned his head and kissed her upturned face. Her cheeks were still flushed and her eyes sparkled with wonder and contentment.

'Thank you' she whispered softly.

'You don't need to thank me' Joey told her quietly 'but, you're welcome' he added with a grin.

'Joey!' Lauren exclaimed with a giggle, slapping his chest lightly.

Joey laughed with her 'and thank you' he said when their laughter had died down. 'I thoroughly enjoyed myself' he told her. 'We'll have to do it again sometime?' he questioned.

'When?' came her eager reply and she moved so she was half laying on him, looking down at him expectantly.

Joey's hands moved to her back, up to her hair and he drew her towards him for a kiss.

'What about now?' he murmured against her lips.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** Well…what do you all think about that? Back Saturday night! Leave me a review **


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter Fifty Nine. **

Lauren was the first to wake the next morning, she couldn't help the grin that was on her face. She'd sex with Joey Branning three times last night and she loved every single solitary orgasmic second of it. She remembered Joey telling her once he had some moves and oh my God the boy certainly did have some moves, not to mention he was pretty well endowed and used it well. She rolled over, clutching the duvet to her chest as she looked at Joey sleeping. He had his back to her, giving her a clear view of the tattoo on his back. She looked at it, reaching out to trace the edge with her finger lightly.

She wondered what had made him get tattoos, if they meant something to him or if they were a permanent reminder of a random drunken night out with his mates. She wriggled up closer behind him and she pressed a soft kiss to the centre of the tattoo, tracing the outline of it with her fingers. She kissed the back of his shoulder and slid one hand around his waist, her fingertips dancing over the six pack she could feel. Joey stirred and gave a soft moan, his eyes opened and he smiled as he felt Lauren kissing his shoulder again.

'Morning, babe' Joey said softly.

'Hi' Lauren replied with a smile, pressing another kiss to his shoulder. Joey's hand covered hers and slowly slid it lower, until it reached his swollen cock. He guided both their hands in a slow movement against him. He rolled onto his back and Lauren continued to stroke him.

'Do you want breakfast?' he asked her with a smirk 'because I can go cook us some eggs'

Lauren blinked at him and she nodded her head 'I could eat' she told him, she stopped stroking him and turned to slide out of bed.

'Hey!' Joey exclaimed, grabbing her arm, pulling her back towards him. She giggled at the look on his face. He smiled and moved over his kissing her 'you can't leave me like that'

'You suggested food!' Lauren told him 'and I'm pretty hungry'

'You can have food later' he told her. 'Right now, I want you!' he said

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

After breakfast Lauren went into the bedroom and sat down on the bed, wondering what would happen next. Worrying Joey would drop her now he'd had sex with her.

'Okay, what's going on in your head?' Joey asked from the doorway, she turned to look at him and saw him leaning up against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest, his naked chest, Lauren's eyes roamed over the muscles in his arms and his chest. When her eyes met Joey's she realised she hadn't answered his question and that she'd been staring...no ogling would be a better word.

'Nothing…I should get going' she told him, part of her hoping he would ask her to stay. .

'Oh' Joey nodded his head 'Yeah…if you have plans' he said as he moved away from the doorway and walked over towards the bed. 'Personally, I'm going to go to back to bed for a few more hours' he told her, stripping off his pajama bottoms and slipping back beneath the duvet 'of course if you wanted to join me, I wouldn't say no…' he trailed off, leaving the ball in her court. She didn't move for a minute or two and Joey flipped back the covers 'come on then!' he said. Lauren turned to look at him and then smiled at him, stripping off his robe and scampering under the covers to join him. She snuggled up against him as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

That night the two of them had to work at the club. Lauren went home to change into her work clothes. After she showered she looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled to herself. In fact she hadn't stopped grinning since she'd got back into the house. She'd spent a very enjoyable day in bed with Joey. They hadn't had sex all the time, in between sex they'd talked, not about anything serious, just small conversations. She smiled shaking her head as she looked at her grinning reflection in the mirror. She needed to get ready for work.

Half an hour later she walked into the club, ducking into the staffroom to put her bag and coat inside before heading out to the bar. Joey and Ricky were already working.

'Yes honey?' she asked a cute guy waiting for a drink.

'I'll take three beers and a three chasers please, sweetheart' he smiled at her.

'Coming up' Lauren smiled at him. She served his drinks and out them on the bar '£13:75 please'

He put a £20 note on the bar 'keep the change darling' he winked at her.

'Thank you' Lauren smiled back at him. She turned and punched keys on the till and then dropped the £6:25 into her tip jar with a smile. Turning back to the bar she served the next waiting customer.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Later that night after the club closed, the three of them got themselves a drink and they sat down.

'You made a lot of tips tonight' Ricky nudged Lauren with his foot.

'I did' she nodded her head with a smile.

'Don't poke people with your shoe' Joey frowned, slapping his leg away.

'Alright…Chill! You're pretty tetchy tonight' Ricky said looking at Joey with a frown 'there's only thing that makes you tetchy and that's lack of sex…you need to get laid, mate'

Lauren blinked, picking up her drink and taking a sip.

'I do not need to get laid' Joey said picking up his beer. 'And since when have you been keeping track of my sex life?

'Well I haven't seen you leaving the club with anyone lately' Ricky said with a frown and then he pulled a face 'oh God, please tell me you're not hooking up with Lucy?'

'No, I'm not hooking up with Lucy' Joey replied.

Lauren got up 'Okay as much as I find this train of conversation riveting…oh, wait. I don't.' she said with a frown' I'm going to start cleaning up, leave you boys to talk' she told them both, taking her glass with her. Grabbing the crate off the bar she walked to the furthest table away and started to fill it with glasses unaware of the conversation that was continuing at the table.

Ricky noticed Joey watching Lauren 'You still fancy her, don't you?' Ricky asked him.

'Yeah, so? Are you telling me you don't?' Joey took a drink of his beer.

'She is pretty hot, but she's married…' Ricky told him with a shrug.

'So you wouldn't fuck her if she said she wanted you to?' Joey asked him.

'No' Ricky shook his head 'I'm not getting involved with a married woman' he replied 'she could be standing in front of me completely naked and I would say no' he picked up his bottle of beer and raised It to his lips 'wait…would you?'

Joey licked his lips, glancing at Lauren. Now was his opportunity to collect his winnings from Ricky. To brag he'd bedded Lauren just like he knew he would. 'No. Of course not' Joey lied shaking his head 'Lauren and I are friends that's all' he looked at Ricky 'So I guess we're both agreed the bet is off?' Joey asked.

'Yeah, the bet is off' Ricky nodded his head 'you know I would've won anyway' he told him confidently.

'Yeah, course you would' Joey said rolling his eyes as he got up 'I'm going to balance the tills. You can take off if you want' he told Ricky.

'Yeah? You sure?' Ricky asked him.

'Go. Before I change my mind' Joey told him.

'Great thanks' Ricky stood up leaving his half-drunk beer on the table 'I'll see you later' he said as he walked to the stairs 'night Lauren!'

'Night' she called out as she looked up at him. Lauren glanced at Joey as she picked up the crate and went back to the bar, she loaded the glasses in the washer and smiled as she felt Joey's arms slip around her waist.

'I thought he'd never leave' he whispered against her neck.

'You realise it's going to take us longer to clean up though don't you? Just the two of us?'

'Mmhmm' he murmured kissing her neck.

'Even longer if you keep doing that' she said tilting her head to one side.

'Mmhmm' he murmured again.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews! Joey had the perfect opportunity to collect his winnings from Ricky but he didn't! And he also didn't kick Lauren out like he does with the other girls and he's being all touchy/feely albeit when they are alone. What do you all think? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow.**


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter Sixty**

An hour later, the two of them went inside Joey's flat. Lauren went straight through to the bedroom and sat down on the bed, taking off her shoes. 'Ouch…' she complained 'my feet are killing me, stupid shoes' she frowned dropping them on the floor.

'Come here' Joey said kneeling down in front of her, picking up one of her feet and massaging it gently.

'Ooh…that feels good' she closed her eyes.

'Yeah?' Joey raised his head to look at her, he smiled seeing a contented smile on her face 'you like that huh?'

'You have magic hands' she told him with a smile.

'Glad you think so, baby' Joey replied. 'But I think you should consider wearing some more comfortable shoes' he told her 'especially since you're on your feet for most of the night'

'They're new, they just need breaking in is all' she said with a shrug. She opened her eyes to look at him 'in the meantime you can rub my feet after a long shift' she said.

'You have a deal' he nodded his head.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren used the bathroom and then walked through to the kitchen whilst Joey showered. She made some coffee and sat on the sofa, stretching the t-shirt Joey had given her to sleep in over her knees. She was flicking through the TV channels when Joey came back into the room, a towel around his waist. 'Anything good on?' he asked her walking round to stand beside the sofa.

'No, not really' she shook her head.

'So you're not watching anything?' he asked her.

'Nope, just channel hopping' she said with a shrug.

'Let me see' Joey held his hand out for the remote, she gave it to him and he turned off the TV 'okay we can go to bed now' he said taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. He led her through to the bedroom, pausing to close the door behind him. He turned to look at her with a smile as he backed her towards the bed. She giggled as she climbed onto it, pulling him down with her. He laughed as she wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him into a kiss.

'Kitten's a bit feisty tonight' he teased her as she stripped the t-shirt off her leaving her naked to his gaze. 'Liking sex now are we?' he asked her. She grinned at him, nodding her head vigorously, making Joey laugh. 'I bet you wish you'd taken me up on my offer earlier now then, hey?' he asked her with a grin.

'Yes. Okay I do' she replied pulling him back down into a kiss. 'Happy now?'

'Not quite' he said, bending to kiss her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Later they were lying in each other's arms, facing each other. Joey brushed her hair behind her ear with a smile.

'So what were you and Ricky talking about?' she asked him.

'The bet we made' Joey said honestly.

'I thought you said you didn't make a bet?' Lauren asked, looking up at him.

'If I recall correctly I said we'd discussed many girls within the bet' he said to her, she held his gaze and he sighed 'okay the bet was about you' he admitted 'which one of us could sleep with you first'

Lauren blinked at him 'How much was the bet for?' she asked him.

'That doesn't matter now' he told her softly

'It matters to me, how much am I worth, Joey?' her eyes flashed with anger at him.

'We called the bet off' Joey told her softly. 'We both agreed since you're married the bet was null and void' he said. Lauren was surprised by his answer.

'You…you didn't tell him you'd won?' she asked him.

'Nope' he shook his head 'I told you this isn't a one-time thing' he explained to her 'and what happens between you and me, stays between you and me' he licked his lips 'I want to keep seeing you, I want to keep doing this' he stoked her cheek with his fingers softly.

'You do?' she asked him.

'Don't you?' he asked her watching her face for any signs she didn't.

'Yes' she nodded her head 'I do' she whispered softly. 'I don't want this to end'

Joey smiled at her 'me either' he said truthfully. He moved forward and pressed her lips against hers in a soft, tender kiss.

'So, you still didn't tell me how much I was worth…'

'You're not going to let that go are you?' he asked her, with a sigh.

'Nope' she shook her head.

'£200' Joey said lowering his gaze 'I bet £200 I could fuck you first' he said 'Ricky still thinks he would win…'

'He does?' she wrinkled her nose slightly, Joey smiled.

'He fancies you, doesn't he?' he asked her. 'Not as much as I do, obviously' he said hoping to have distracted her from the sum of money he'd bet. He stole a kiss.

'So…what were you going to spend your winnings on?' Lauren pressed him.

Joey took a deep breath and blew the air through his lips as he rolled onto his back. 'I hadn't really thought about it' he told her 'You were playing pretty hard to get and I wasn't exactly confident I'd win, despite what I'd said to Ricky' he licked his lips. 'Especially when Jake turned up'

Lauren swallowed 'what happens when he comes home?' she asked him in a whisper, as her train of thought took a different direction.

'We just need to be careful we don't get caught or give ourselves away' he said turning his head to look at her 'there'll be no more sleepovers for a while' he said with a sad smile. Lauren nodded her head looking down, Joey reached over and raised her chin so she was looking at him 'We'll find time to be together, I promise you that' he told her softly. She smiled and moved forward and kissed him. Joey lay down again and pulled Lauren against him.

'Joey?'

'Mmm?'

'What do your tattoos mean? I mean why did you get them?'

'You don't like them?' he asked her, turning his head to look at her.

'No, I do…usually I don't like guys with tattoos but on you…they look good…sexy' she said softly.

'Well, the tribal one on my arm I got when I was 17' he told her 'I mainly got it to piss my dad off because he told me I couldn't have a tattoo, I guess I proved him wring huh?' he asked her with a smile. 'And then one on my back…that when I got 2 years ago' he explained to her 'I just liked the design in the studio and I got it. There's really no story behind them' he told her softly. She frowned 'are you disappointed there's not a story behind them?' he asked her.

'No' she shook her head 'I guess I thought the one on your back had something to do with your mother leaving…and how you felt about women' she told him softly.

Joey blinked at her 'What do you mean?'

'Well the heart in centre of the tattoo has a knife through it…'

'Oh I see' Joey said and he smiled 'sadly though there was nothing profound in getting any of my tattoos'

'Did it hurt?'

Why are you thinking of getting one?' he asked her, shifting on the bed, causing Lauren to lie on her back and he moved over her.

'I can see Jake loving that' Lauren said to him. 'He hates tattoos'

'All the more reason to get one' Joey told her 'it doesn't have to be a big one, something small' he told her 'you should get one…you could put it…' he trailed his fingers over her collar bone, over her breast and over her stomach, before coming to a stop on her hip 'here' he said and he looked up at her.

'I'll think about it' she whispered.

'You do that' he told her and she smiled as Joey moved forward to kiss her.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** I'm sorry I didn't post last night I fell asleep! Oops! So what did you all think of that chapter? What happens when Jae comes back from his trip and Lauren has to go back to reality? Will Joey still be interested if she's not on tap? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow. **

**If you liked the story Twelve Days Of Christmas that was posted last year and was co-written with the super fabulous 74Crazychick then I have a date for your diary. THURSDAY 13****TH**** DECEMBER 2014. The sequel to 12 days will start to be posted on my fanfic site. SO watch out for the story which is called A Christmas Carol. We hope you like it! xx**


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter Sixty One**

Jake returned home the next day and found Lauren asleep on the sofa in the middle of the day. He walked back to the front door, opening it and slamming it shut. Lauren jumped and she frowned.

'So this is what you've been doing all day when I've been away? Spending your time sleeping. What about the housework?'

'The housework is done' Lauren told him, sitting up. She frowned and getting up and walking through to the kitchen to get a glass of water, taking a few sips. Jake followed her.

'There's a pile of washing to be done' he said to her

'You know where the launderette is' Lauren replied swallowing some more water.

Jake frowned and walked to the fridge to get a drink finding the fridge empty. 'There's no food or milk in the fridge' he looked at her.

'You need money to buy milk and food and since you didn't leave me any…' she trailed off and finished her glass of water and then put the glass on the side.

'I left you money' Jake said with a frown.

'No you didn't, Jake' Lauren turned to look at him 'you also didn't pay the electricity bill either, so even if we had milk or food there's no way of heating it' she said.

Jake blinked at her 'I didn't leave you any money?' he asked her.

'No, Jake. You didn't' she repeated, shaking her head. She walked out of the kitchen to the hallway and grabbed her jacket and pulled it on.

'Where are you going?' he asked her.

'There's a staff meeting at the club'

'What did you do for money?' he asked her

'Sharon gave me an £40 advance on my salary but it wasn't enough to pay the electricity, since I can't cook, I had to eat at the café…their prices are really high' Lauren frowned as she opened the door.

'Have you eaten today?' Jake asked her.

'No' she shook her head.

He licked his lips, pulling out his wallet, he took out a £20 note and held it out to her. 'Here take this' he said to her. Lauren looked at the money in his hand.

'What's that for?' she asked him.

'So you can buy yourself some lunch' he told her softly. 'I'll take care of my washing and I'll do a food shop' he said to her 'are you working tonight?' he asked her 'I can make your favourite?' he suggested.

'I'm not working tonight' she replied shaking her head.

Jake smiled at her 'great…I'm sorry, Lauren' he told her. She nodded her head and opened the door, leaving the house.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey looked up as he heard the club door open and close. 'Hey' Lauren said as she entered the club. 'Am I late?' she frowned seeing no one else there.

'No, you are right on time' Joey smiled at her.

'I thought we were having a staff meeting?' she looked at Joey as he walked over to her.

'We are' he nodded his head 'I'm your boss, so I thought we should have a meeting to talk about your performance' he smiled sliding his hands around her waist, pulling her towards him.

'Joey…' Lauren frowned at him 'how is this being careful?' she asked him 'Jake's back and I told him I had to come to a staff meeting with Sharon. What if he sees her?…he'll know I'm lying'

'What, he's back?' he said in surprise.

'Yes, about five minutes to go' she replied. She slipped out of his embrace 'I have to go back…'

'And tell him what? He thinks you're in a staff meeting' he asked her.

Lauren frowned and she moved to a table and sat down. Joey ducked behind the bar and got them both a drink, taking it over to the table sitting down beside her.

'Hey, look I'm sorry I didn't know he was back' Joey told her. 'Was he okay?'

'Yes' she nodded her head, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a £20 note 'he gave me this' she told him 'for not leaving me any money and he's doing his own washing and making me dinner tonight. My favourite'

'Is he going to want something in return?' Joey asked her swallowing as he thought about what that could mean.

'I don't know' Lauren shook her head 'he was really nice to me' she told him, cradling her drink in her hands. The twenty pound note was sitting on the table between them. 'I was thinking you could put the £20 note in the sock in your drawer as well as £40 of my wages. I told Jake that Sharon gave me an advance…it's not like I could tell him how I got food is it?' she looked at Joey.

'No' he shook his head. 'I guess not' he said looking at her.

She sighed and raised her head to look at him again. 'I'm sorry' she said softly.

'For what?' he frowned at her.

'The complications' she said.

'The complications are worth it' he told her softly 'especially if it means I get to be with you' he said. 'Listen, why don't I buy you lunch in the Vic?' he asked her.

'I could eat but we can use my money' she pushed the £20 note towards him.

'This is going in the sock' he told her firmly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Back in his flat after Lauren had gone home, Joey lay on the sofa, his mind on Lauren. As night fell he wondered what was happening at number 43 Albert Square. He wondered if Jake was having sex with Lauren. The more he thought about it the angrier he got. Grabbing his keys and wallet he left the flat and headed towards the club. Taking a seat at the bar he ordered a double scotch from his Aunt. After he'd ordered his third one in less than half an hour she looked at Jack in concern.

'Hi' a voice beside him said 'I'm Bridget'

Joey turned and saw a gorgeous redhead beside him 'Joey' he replied with his 100 mega-watt smile. 'Can I get you a drink?'

'Gin and tonic please' Bridget smiled back slithering into the seat beside him.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** Oh no Jake is back what does this mean for Lauren….wait he as nice to her too…we all know what's coming next though right? And WTF is Joey doing? Really? Leave me a review back tomorrow x**


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter Sixty-Two**

The next morning Lauren woke to find she was alone in the bed. She got up, showered and dressed and went down to the kitchen. She found a note on the table in the kitchen along with a box.

"_**Let you sleep in this morning. You looked tired. Next time you need me you can call me. Jake" **_she read. She guessed the box was a new mobile phone. She took it out of the box and started it up. She saw Jake's number was programmed into it. She sent him a quick text.

"_**Thank you. L"**_

A few seconds later the phone beeped _**'You're welcome. Jake'**_ she read. She sighed putting the phone down on the table. She realised Jake must have seen Joey at some point last night. She knew he was there when she fell asleep at 9:00pm, obviously he'd gone out after that. She wondered what they'd talked about, what Jake had asked him, what Joey had said. How Joey was feeling. Whether, in the cold light of day, he'd decided this was a mistake. She rushed to the front door, the phone forgotten as she grabbed her keys and jacket. She checked the café first but there was no sign of him. She went to the MinuteMart across the market and he wasn't there either. She walked back through the square and glanced at his flat. She felt anxiety rising in her chest, she didn't want things between her and Joey to be over. Lauren sank down onto the bench in the middle of the gardens, trying to pluck up courage to let herself into his flat. She glanced around, the market was busy but there weren't many people around the gardens or flats. She was certain she could get inside without being seen. Her mind made up she stood up as she heard someone say her name. She turned and saw Jake with Joey. She felt the colour drain out of her face as she thought about being almost caught sneaking into Joey's flat.

'Lauren? What are you doing out here?' Jake asked her 'are you okay? You look pale' he told her with a frown.

She swallowed 'I just needed some air' she told him.

'Have you eaten breakfast this morning?' he asked her.

'No' she shook her head.

'Come on then, Joey and I were about to go to the café' he said to her. Lauren licked her lips and nodded her head, her eyes moving briefly to Joey's. She followed the boys to the café and sat down at a table, Joey was the first to join her.

'Are you okay?' he asked her quietly. She nodded her head.

'I was looking for you…I was about to let myself into your flat…he would've seen' she said looking down.

'But you didn't, he didn't' Joey told her softly 'everything is okay'

'Is it?' she raised her eyes to his questioningly. Joey glanced at Jake at the counter and nodded his head.

'Yes. It is' he told her, his phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out and read the text. 'Alice' he told her 'having some sort of meltdown over dad's birthday. She wants to throw a surprise party' he rolled his eyes and sent a text back to her, 'I'll go over and see her later' he pushed the phone back into his pocket. 'You were coming to see me?' he asked her. Lauren nodded her head. 'I missed you last night' Joey told her as Jake made his way over to the table. He saw a small smile appear on her lips, but it disappeared as soon as Jake reached the table.

Jake took a seat next to Lauren, 'I ordered you a full English breakfast and coffee' he said to her 'is that okay?'

'Yes, thank you' she turned her head towards him with a smile.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

After they'd eaten breakfast, Jake announced he needed to go check on things at the restaurant.

'Do you need any help?' Lauren asked him.

Jake looked at her in surprise and he shook his head 'Thank you for offering, but no I can manage' he said to her 'you should go home, go back to bed, you look tired, sweetheart' he told her. 'I'll be home late tonight, so why don't you get a takeaway for dinner?' he asked her. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a £20 note and gave it to her.

'Thank you' Lauren smiled at him, although deep down inside she wondered why he was suddenly being so generous and giving and what she would have to do to pay the money back. 'And thank you again for the phone' she said quietly. 'When you have time will you show me how to use it? You know I can't use technology'

'Of course I will' Jake nodded his head. 'Feel better soon, baby' he told her 'I'll see you later, Joey' Jake said as he got up and walked out of the café.

Lauren let out a breath, folding the money and putting in into her pocket.

'So you wanted to see me?' Joey asked Lauren, picking up his cup and taking a drink.

'Yes' she nodded her head. 'I was worried'

'Worried? About me?' he asked her, a small smile on his face.

'Worried Jake would figure things out' she told him 'Worried about what he'd do to you…he's being so nice to me…' she frowned at him.

'He feels bad he left you no money, that he forgot to pay the electricity' Joey explained to her 'he's given you the phone so next time he goes away and you need something you can call him or text him'

'So he doesn't know about us?' she lowered her voice.

'Nope' Joey shook his head 'he's clueless. He asked me what you'd been up to since he's been gone, I told him you went out with me and Alice. You've been working…nothing out of the ordinary' he said licking his lips. He raised his cup to his mouth 'I meant what I said. I missed you last night' he told her 'I was sitting in my flat watching your house like a stalker, wondering if you were sleeping with him'

'I didn't' she shook her head 'I was tired…I fell asleep'

'I couldn't stand it. Thinking about you with him…I had to go out…I went to the club' Lauren looked up at him, hoping he wasn't going to tell her what she thought he was. 'I was at the bar with a girl, getting drunk…and Jake came in' he told her, 'I spent the night taking to him' he finished his coffee and put the cup down on the table as his phone beeped again. He looked at it and sighed 'It's Alice, I should go…I'll see you at work later?' he asked her.

'Yes' she whispered.

'Can you get away tonight?' he said standing up.

'I don't know…' she trailed off.

'Okay, I'll send Ricky home early' he told her.

Joey walked out of the café leaving Lauren alone with her thoughts.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

The rest of the day dragged for both Lauren and Joey. Even their shift at the club seemed to go slower than it had ever done before. Joey had already spoken to Ricky and told him to take off early. So Lauren and Joey were the only two left in the club for the last hour. Joey cursed under his breath when he saw Sharon and Jack come down the stairs.

'Hey' Sharon smiled at him 'Ricky not here?' she looked the length of the bar.

'It's been quiet, so I sent him home early' Joey said to her as he served another customer, she handed him the money and he turned to the till to ring it up and Lauren saw she'd also given him her phone number. He dropped it in the bin, much to the surprise of his uncle.

'That's not like you' Jack commented.

'Yeah well, been there, done that' Joey said with a casual shrug.

'Nice attitude to have, Joey' he replied shaking his head.

'It's one that suits me just fine' he said walking down to the other end of the bar to help Lauren with a rowdy bunch of lads.

'Okay what's going on here?' he asked. Lauren threw him a grateful look as he came to her rescue.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Two hours and two drinks later, Lauren and Joey were finally alone in the club.

'I thought they were never going to leave' Joey frowned as he got up with their glasses and put them by the side of the glass washer.

'At least they helped us clear up a little, there's not much left to do' Lauren said to him.

'Yeah that's true' Joey nodded his head 'which also means it can wait until tomorrow' he said licking his lips. 'I'm going to put the money in the safe' he told her.

'Okay' she sighed and stood up, walking into the staffroom and getting her things out of her locker. She walked through to the office as she shrugged on her jacket. 'What's taking you so long?' Lauren sighed leaning against the doorway.

'The key got stuck in the lock' Joey told her. Pushing the keys into his jeans pocket 'so you coming back to mine tonight?' he asked her hopefully.

'It's already pretty late, Joey. I think I should go home' she told him.

'Oh…okay' he looked down briefly.

'Maybe in a few days…' she trailed off with a shrug. 'I'm sorry…'

'I know' he replied softly. 'Can I at least have a goodnight kiss and hug?' he asked her. She crossed the room and moved into his arms. Closing her eyes she breathed in his scent, basking in the feeling of being in his strong embrace.

'I missed you last night too' she whispered softly, pulling back to look at him.

'Yeah?' he asked her, his eyes searching hers and then he frowned 'wait, did you miss me or sex?' he asked her.

'Well since the two kind of go hand in hand...' she replied softly as her eyes fell to his lips. Joey moved forward closing the distance between them, kissing her softly. The touch of their lips was all it took to fan the lust and need between them and he backed her towards the desk.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey swept his arm across Sharon's desk causing the contents to crash to the floor loudly. If it wasn't for the fact they were the only two people in the club, the noise would've attracted some attention. He undid Lauren's trousers pushing them down her legs. Her knickers followed suit and he picked Lauren up and sat her down on the edge of the table. He undid his jeans, pushing them down with his boxer shorts and grabbed a condom. He pulled it on and pushed her so she was lying down on the table. Lauren wrapped her legs around his waist. His mouth closed over hers as he positioned himself at her entrance, she arched her back as she felt him entering her and then he thrust inside her hard, she broke the kiss to give a soft cry.

Joey groaned at the sensations he was feeling of being inside her, she was so tight. He wondered briefly what it would feel like to be inside her without wearing a condom. He frowned, confused as to where that particular thought came from. It wasn't like him to be careless or to even think about being careless. He shook his head and turned his attention back to Lauren. He groaned as she shifted beneath him, forcing him to go deeper inside her. His mouth moved to her neck, sucking the skin into his mouth, careful not to mark her. She groaned again.

He reached between them, finding her clit and rubbed it firmly 'Joey…Joey…Joey…Joey' her voice started off as a whisper, gradually getting louder.

'Oh baby!' Joey groaned as he felt her tightening around him, her back arched off the desk even more, as she felt her climax building within her. 'Fuck…Lauren!' he exclaimed as his own orgasm hit, triggering Lauren's.

They both lay on the desk, while they caught their breaths. Lauren pressed open mouthed kisses to his neck, throat and jaw, he turned his head and their lips met.

'It's late' Joey whispered in between kisses 'I should take you home' he told her softly.

She smiled and nodded her head 'You should' she whispered pulling him back into a kiss.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey walked her as far as the corner and turned to look at her 'I'll see you tomorrow?' he asked her.

'Yeah, you will' she nodded her head.

'We'll figure this out, okay?' he whispered.

'I know' she replied with a small smile. 'Thank you'

'Are you thanking me for sex again?' he teased her.

'For walking me home, idiot' she laughed and slapped his arm.

'You're welcome, babe' he laughed with her.

He wanted to kiss her goodnight but knew he couldn't risk it, in case someone saw them. He watched her walk to her house, unlock the door and step inside, turning back to look at him, raising her hand in a wave. Joey nodded his head and when she closed the door jogged to his flat letting himself inside. He stripped off his clothes in the bedroom, climbing into bed and gathering the pillow Lauren had slept on close to his face and found he could smell her on the fabric. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** Phew! Joey didn't have sex with the red head! Jake saved the day! Poor Lauren, feeling worried and anxious that Joey had changed his mind about the two of them since Jake's return. Joey still wants to be with her and she told her he's going to work out how they get to see each other and spend time together. Well what did you all think about this chapter? Why is Jake being nice…anyone else creeped out by Jake? What's going to happen next? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow.**


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter Sixty-three**

As the days passed Joey and Lauren became more proficient with sneaking around, finding time together. Usually after the club had closed, they would sneak back to Joey's and then Lauren would creep into her house a couple of hours later. Jake never questioned it because he knew how big the club was and knew how much time cleaning it up would entail.

The two of them were still being careful and Joey kept up his pretense of being a ladies man and snuck off shift early to "go home with girls" but he ditched them outside and headed back to his flat waiting for Lauren. He heard the bottom door open and flung open the door to his flat, rushing down the stairs, meeting Lauren halfway.

'Did anyone see you?' he asked her as he pushed her coat off her shoulders.

'Nope' she murmured with a shake of her head as she undid his pants, sliding her hand inside, surprised to find him already hard.

Joey couldn't get them through the door and into his flat quick enough, he shut the door and pulled Lauren into his arms as his mouth descended onto hers. She ripped Joey's shirt in her eagerness to take it off, a couple of button's pinged across the room and skidded across the floor.

She ran her hands over his bare torso, feeling the heat from the skin beneath, the rippling of his muscles. He'd managed to remove her knickers from underneath her skirt and he picked her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist and he paused long enough to pull on a condom and then thrust into her in one swift movement, causing them both to break the kiss with a soft moan. He pressed her back against the wall, using the wall as leverage as he thrust inside her again.

Lauren remembered watching Joey with the girl in the alley as he took her this way, she remembered how she thought it looked uncomfortable and painful but now she was the girl Joey was doing it to, she realised how enjoyable it was and she now understood why the girl seemed to be making the noises she was. Noises that Lauren was now making herself.

Joey kissed her neck and shoulders as he moved inside her and Lauren groaned loudly.

'More…Joey…harder' she gasped.

Joey groaned and he turned them, carrying her through towards the bedroom, before turning her again and pressing her up against the wall beside the bed. He increased his pace as per her request, relishing her breathy moans and sighs as he buried himself inside her over and over. Her hands moved to his shoulders and she used them to help her raise herself up and down to meet his thrusts. He pulled them away from the wall and moved them to the bed, lowering her down on it as he moved inside her, his lips captured hers and her tongue dueled with his. Her hands slid down his shoulders to his wrists as he held himself above her. He pulled back to watch her face as he fucked her. He grabbed her hands, linking his fingers through hers and moved her hands above her head, giving himself more purchase. Lauren's eyes rolled into the back of her head as Joey pounded into her, she gripped his hips tightly with her thighs, crying out as her orgasm rolled through her. Joey kept moving working her through her orgasm and starting to build her up to another.

Both of them were sweating lightly as Joey withdrew from her, she heard the snap of the condom as he pulled it off and tied the top in knot and dropped it onto the bedside table.

Joey lay down on the bed and he pulled Lauren closer to him, she lay her head on his chest.

'You can't fall asleep' Joey warned her softly.

'Mmhmm, I know…I won't' she said sleepily as she closed her eyes.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

'Babe…babe…' Joey shook her gently 20 minutes later. Her eyes opened and she looked into his.

'Again?' she asked him eagerly, with a small smile.

'I wish' Joey smiled back at her, moving forward to kiss her. 'You fell asleep' he told her 'it's half past three. You need to get up, get dressed and go home' he kissed her again.

Lauren sighed and she closed her eyes 'I really do' she nodded her head in agreement.

She climbed out of bed and dressed quickly, and Joey pulled on his jeans leaving the button undone and walked with her down to the bottom of the stairs.

'I'll see you soon' Joey said softly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

'You will' she replied, reaching up for a kiss he happily gave her. He unlocked the door and let Lauren out, she smiled at him and darted off into the night.

Joey sighed, closing the door behind her. They both had the next couple of nights off so he knew he wouldn't see her again until Thursday. He missed her already.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** I am so glad that you are all enjoying TBB. Joey and Lauren are getting good at sneaking around and hiding their relationship from everyone…but sooner or later they're going to get caught out right? This is all seeming to be going too smoothly for them! Leave me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow xx **


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter Sixty-four**

Joey drove into the car park at Walford Common. Lauren frowned as he turned off the engine. 'What are we doing here?' she asked him, a little bit confused.

'It's a nice sunny day, I thought we could take a stroll' he told her 'it's secluded here, no one we know should see us' he reassured her when he saw a flash of worry in her eyes. He opened the car door and climbed out, walking round to the passenger side to open the door for Lauren. She got out and looked up at him. Joey reached out and tucking a strand of stray hair, the wind had caught and blown free, behind her ear, his fingers grazing her cheek lightly before he tipped her chin up and stole a kiss. Stepping away from her, he moved to the boot of the car, unlocking it, pulling something out of it before he closed and locked it again. He returned to Lauren and held his hand out to her.

'What's that?' she asked with a small smile as she looked at the hamper, sliding her hand into his.

'It's a surprise' Joey smiled at her, his eyes sparkling as he led her towards the tree line.

They walked for 20 minutes before Joey looked around and then stopped. 'Here is perfect' he announced, putting the hamper down on the floor.

'Perfect for what?' Lauren glanced around trying to figure out what he was seeing. She spent a good five minutes turning from one direction to another but all she could see was trees, she frowned as her confusion climbed higher. Turning back to Joey she saw he'd laid a blanket on the ground and he was kneeling on the blanket, emptying the hamper. Her eyes filled with tears as she realised what he'd done. What he'd obviously planned for her. 'Joey' she whispered, he paused from setting up the food, and smiled when he saw the surprise on her face and tears in her eyes. He rose to his feet, walking over to her.

'Well you said you'd never been taken out on a picnic before so I figured….' he shrugged suddenly feeling a little stupid. Lauren smiled up at him, throwing herself into his arms and kissing his face, cheek and neck excitedly. Joey laughed at her response.

'Thank you' she whispered, pressing her lips to his.

'You're welcome' he smiled at her 'come on, let's eat, I'm starving' he took her hand, leading her to the blanket and they both sat down.

Lauren glanced at the food spread out before her, Joey had got all her favourites. She smiled at him. 'This all looks great' she said looking up at Joey.

'Good' he nodded 'You have no idea how many different places I had to go to get all your favourite things, but I have to say the look on your face makes it worth the time and effort I put in' he told her as he handed her a plate.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

After they'd eaten and packed away the remaining food, they lay down on the blanket and looked up at the sky. Joey's arms were behind his head and Lauren's head was resting on Joey's shoulder. The sun shimmered through the leaves in the trees and it looked like it was raining glitter. 'It so pretty here' she said to him 'how did you know about this place?' she asked him.

'Is that your way of asking if I've brought other girls here?' he asked her with wry smile 'because you already know the answer to that question' he glanced at her briefly 'Oh, wait there was one time' he said to her, she turned her head to look at him 'we were 5 and we played here whilst our parents had a picnic not far from here' he told her 'she was my best friends girlfriend so she was off limits' he grinned at her. Lauren rolled her eyes at him.

'You are such an idiot' she laughed.

'Thank you' Joey laughed with her 'I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me' he told her, rolling onto his side and propping himself up on his elbow to look at her. 'Are you sure you don't want any more to eat?' he asked her softly.

'Mmhmm I'm full' she nodded her head, mirroring his actions so she was facing him. 'Best picnic ever, great food, great view, great company, what more could a girl want?' she asked him with a smile. 'Now I feel sleepy' she said softly closing her eyes and rolling onto her back.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren felt Joey's hand slide over her stomach and his breath on her lips. She opened her eyes to gaze up into his. 'Hey' he said softly 'did you have good nap?' he asked her.

'Did I fall asleep?' she asked him in surprise, he nodded his head 'for how long?'

'An hour' he smiled back at her.

'Really? God I'm sorry' she replied. Joey brushed his lips against hers.

'It's okay' he told her 'I might have dozed off too' he admitted to her 'how about we go for a walk?' he asked her 'work off the big lunch?' he suggested.

'Sounds good' she nodded her head. Joey stole another kiss and he helped her up. As they walked he slipped his hand into hers and squeezed gently. They walked in silence, not needing to talk to each other, both of them content to just be together. Joey thought about how good it felt to have Lauren's hand in his. To have someone he could talk to about anything and everything. Someone he could and had told his secrets to. Well, all but one anyway. Lauren knew him, better than anyone knew him, sometimes he thought she knew him better than he knew himself. As he pondered that a random thought hit him and it made his stomach flutter as it dawned on him. He loved her. Joey Branning, self-confessed man-whore, the bad boy was in love.

He glanced at Lauren and let go of her hand and he grabbed her around the waist 'Joey! What are you doing?' Lauren giggled as Joey turned her and pressed her against a tree, he grinned at her.

'You said you wanted to experience everything I could show you' he reminded her, she felt his hands on the outside of her thighs moving up under her skirt.

'Not outside, Joey!' she exclaimed 'someone might see!'

'We've been here for more than an hour and how many people have we seen walk through here?' he asked her, his hands stilling as her gaze darted left and right. 'Well?'

'None' she said, turning her gaze to him.

'Then there's nothing to worry about is there?' he asked her sliding her knickers down her thighs. She closed her eyes as his fingers delved between her legs.

'Joey!' Lauren's protest turned into a soft moan. Joey reached into his pocket and pulled out a condom and undid his jeans. Lauren took the condom from him as Joey released himself from the confines of his jeans. Lauren tore the packet, removed the condom and stroked him firmly before she rolled the condom onto his length. He smiled at her eagerness, knowing she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

She pulled his lips to hers as he thrust into her. He was gentle with her, knowing that the bark of the tree could break her skin through the thin top she was wearing.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Neither of them were aware that someone else had also had the idea of a quiet picnic on the common. A set of eyes watched the young couple, who were completely oblivious to anyone else being around and were totally wrapped up in each other. Now he had his confirmation that there was something going on between Lauren and Joey, just like he'd thought. He turned and shooed his companion back down the way they'd come telling her it was just a dead end up ahead. A million thoughts ran through his head. Questions he wanted to ask both Joey and Lauren, but in particular Joey.

***JB*JB*JB*JB ***

After the picnic, Joey had driven them both back to the square and to his flat. The two of them moved into the bedroom, their plans of unpacking the food from the hamper forgotten as another hunger took over.

'You know me better than anyone' Lauren said, a little sadly. 'You packed all my favourite foods and drinks and then proceeded to make my body feel things no one else can' Joey shifted in the bed so he could look down at her, sensing her mood was spiraling downwards.

'Well… I am sleeping with you' Joey replied softly. 'I should have some insight into what you like sexually' Lauren sighed and closed her eyes, causing Joey to frown 'hey, what's wrong?' he asked her softly. His fingers played gently with her earlobe, his thumb occasionally brushing her cheek. She opened her eyes and he could see worry and indecision in them 'talk to me' he whispered.

'What are we doing, Joey?' she asked him softly 'this…us…' she looked up at him. Joey gazed into her eyes and he could see the conflict in them.

'We're having fun' he said softly 'aren't we?' he threw the question back at her.

'A little too much' she replied in a whisper.

'Is that such a bad thing?' he asked her softly. He moved away from her as she climbed out of the bed, taking one of the sheets with her and wrapping it around her body. She walked out of the bedroom and Joey sighed. He got out of bed, not bothering to out any clothes on, pausing to grab a condom off the bedside table as he passed. He followed her out of the room, finding her at the lounge window staring out. He was grateful she'd talked him into getting some net curtains to put up, stopping people peering in. Not that he was ashamed he was sleeping with Lauren, he wasn't, as far as Joey was concerned the whole square could know. There was just the matter of her husband and his dad, he was sure out of everyone they would be the only two people who wouldn't be too thrilled with his current girlfriend. 'Hey' he said sliding his arms around her waist, resting his hands on her stomach as he pulled her back against him 'what's brought your mood down?' he asked her softly. 'I thought we were having a good day? A romantic picnic, a little afternoon al fresco sex. And then we came back here and up until fifteen minutes ago you were happy. So what's happened to make you sad so suddenly?' She sighed and held up her left hand, Joey's eyes settled on her wedding ring. 'It's just a band of cheap gold, Lauren' he told her softly, his lips grazed her neck lightly, 'it doesn't mean you belong to him. It's a marriage in name only, on paper' he said softly. 'You know you belong to me' he pressed an open mouth kiss to her neck as one hand moved lower 'you know I want you' he pressed his length against her bottom as his hand slipped between her legs, stroking her through the sheet 'don't you?' he whispered to her.

'Yes' she leant her head back against his shoulder, turning her head towards his, their eyes met and she shivered at the darkness in his eyes, the lust and desire that was burning there…for her. She heard the unmistakable sound of a condom packet being ripped open.

'And you know I'm yours?' he questioned her.

'Yes' she nodded her head again, as he pulled the sheet out of her grasp, she turned around in his arms and he smiled down at her.

'You are so beautiful, Lauren' he told her as his eyes ran over her naked body 'so beautiful' he murmured, the sheet pooled on the floor at their feet and he stopped forward, picking her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist and he pressed her back against the wall as his mouth closed over hers.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Movement across the square caught Joey's eye and he turned his head slightly to see Jake walking towards his house. Joey smiled to himself, feeling smug that Jake's neglect of Lauren had meant Joey was the one currently fucking her up against the wall in his flat. Jake loss was Joey's incredible gain. He thrust harder inside Lauren and was rewarded with a long loud moan, Jake chose this moment to glance up at the window of Joey's flat, as if he'd heard his wife's voice. Joey wished Jake could see what he was doing to his wife and see she was enjoying it to the full.

Lauren's loud cries made him smile and he turned his attention back to her, feeling her tightening around him. He kissed her shoulder and neck, slipping one hand between her legs to rub her clit and moments later she shattered around him. He increased his thrusts, in both rhythm and force and he came with a loud cry. His head rested on her shoulder as he felt her trembling in his arms. Her breathing was fast and shallow, she felt Joey kiss her neck and he turned and carried her back to the bedroom, laying her down on the bed.

He grinned down at her and she smiled back at him 'So are we good now?' he asked her,

'Yes' she replied as she slid her hands over his chest to his shoulders and pushed him onto his back 'we're good now' she told him softly, bending her head to kiss his chest.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** Well looks like the more romantic side to Joey has come out to play. I think they've both fallen in love with each other but are too scared to say the words….what do you all think? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow xx **


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter Sixty-five**

They weren't due to see each other again for two nights, they both had a night off one after the other and they didn't want to push their luck with sneaking around so had agreed not to see each other for 48 hours.

Two nights apart turned into fourteen.

Jake had taken a break from the restaurant and travelling and had always been at home, so Lauren found it difficult to get out. Lauren had also been unwell, she'd caught the flu bug that was going around and it really knocked her for six. As a result she hadn't been at work and barely left the house. At first, when Jake called in sick for her at the club, Joey had been worried that he'd caught her sneaking into the house later than she should've been and had doled out some sort of physical punishment for her. It was only when he bumped into Jake coming out of the chemist with a prescription for Lauren, he realised she was really ill.

The brief conversation he'd had with Jake, told him she'd been throwing up and had a stomach upset too so, as Jake put it had "stuff coming out both ends" she also had a fever, accompanied by the chills and looked like death warmed up. Jake informed him he'd had to call the doctor out to her as she was being sick so much he'd got really worried about her. He also learnt Jake was becoming tired of taking care of her. He had been planning to go back to Bexley to catch up with some of his friends and looking after his wife when she was sick had put a serious kink in his plans.

Joey was surprised and relieved when she walked into the club fourteen days after the last time he'd seen her. She smiled at him as he caught her eye on her way to the staff room. She shrugged her coat off and stashed it in her locker along with her bag. She headed out to the bar and saw Sharon there with Jack.

'Hello Lauren, darling' she smiled at her 'how are you feeling?'

'Much better, thank you' she said softly.

'You look a lot better than you did when I popped round to see you' she said to her. 'Well for the few seconds I saw you anyway' Sharon added with a laugh.

'Yes… No more projectile vomiting, thank God' Lauren added with a grin 'and thank you for the flowers, they were beautiful' she told her.

'You're welcome, we've missed you here' Sharon told her 'you brighten up the place and a few of the regular punters were sorry to hear you were sick, insisted you got their change for your tip jar'

'They did? That's so sweet' she said surprised.

'Why are you so surprised? You're very popular here' Jack told her 'and not just with the punters, like Sharon said you brighten up the place and keep those two in line' he nodded towards Joey and Ricky.

'Well I do what I can' she said looking at the two boys. 'Well, I guess I should get to work' she said to them both.

'Okay, darling' Sharon said 'we'll see you later'

Lauren made her way down the bar, pausing to look at her tip jar, seeing it was almost filled to the brim with money.

'Lauren!' Ricky exclaimed 'you're back!' he grabbed her into a hug and then picked her up and spun her round 'thank God, it was so dull working here without you' Joey looked up and felt jealous seeing Ricky touching Lauren.

'Thank you' she giggled 'missed me then did ya?'

'Yeah course we did' Ricky said putting her down on her feet 'you feeling better now?'

'Much better' she nodded her head.

'Ricky can you get the vodka from the cellar please?' Joey snapped at him, Ricky rolled his eyes.

'He's as bossy as ever. Watch it though he's in a foul mood' he whispered to Lauren as he moved past her. Lauren glanced over her shoulder and saw Jack and Sharon had gone and Ricky had disappeared to the cellar, leaving the two of them alone.

'Hi' she said moving closer to Joey. His eyes ran over her, taking her in.

'You still look pale. Are you sure you're well enough to be here?' he asked her.

'Yes. I'm sure. I'm better I promise' Lauren replied. She turned and leant on the bar facing him, feeling a bit disappointed by his welcome or lack thereof. 'So what needs to be done before we open?' she asked him.

'The ice buckets need filling' he told her dismissively as he turned back to refilling the mixers.

'Ice buckets. Got it' she said, she picked the three buckets up and carried them into the staffroom. She opened the freezer and took out the bag of ice chips. She filled the buckets and took one back to the end of the bar closest to the staffroom, before returning for the other two. She placed them on the bar and then opened the tills and emptied the money bags into the trays. Ricky came back with the vodka as she headed back into the staffroom. Lauren put some coffee on and sat down on the sofa with a sigh while she waited for it to brew. When it was ready she poured three mugs and took them out to the boys.

'Coffee's up' she called out. Grabbing hers and taking a seat at the bar.

'See this is what we've missed. Your coffee' Ricky grinned at Lauren. She smiled back at him.

'Well I'm glad I have some uses' she said to him.

'Joey come and get your coffee' Ricky said picking up his mug.

'I need to finish bottling up' he called back.

'I'll do that' Ricky said rolling his eyes 'Go and sit down' Ricky walked over to Joey and nudged him out of the way. Joey frowned, slapping the cloth he was wiping the bottles with down onto the bar. He walked over to Lauren and took a seat beside her, picking up a mug.

'Thank you' he said softly.

'You're welcome' she replied. Lauren took a sip of coffee and put the mug back down on the bar. She glanced up at Ricky and saw he was busy with the bottles. 'Are you okay?' she asked Joey softly. 'Only you don't seem too pleased to see me' she kept her gaze ahead on Ricky.

'I_ am_ pleased to see you' Joey told her quietly 'I was really worried about you. I wanted to come and see you but Jake was always there' he frowned 'I couldn't even call you' he said sulkily.

'I wanted to see you too' Lauren said quietly 'And I wanted to call you too but Jake never left me alone long enough for me to take the chance, plus there was the whole vomiting thing..' Joey moved one hand off the bar and put it on her knee, running it up her thigh and squeezing gently.

'I've missed you, babe' he said quietly.

Lauren swallowed. With her eyes still on Ricky she moved one of her hands to cover his. 'I missed you too, Joey' she whispered softly. Joey linked his fingers though hers.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

The cubicle in the woman's toilets was small and compact and really not built for two people. Especially not for two people doing the things that Joey and Lauren were currently doing.

Joey banged his elbow on the coat hook on the back of the door and Lauren giggled as he cursed.

'Sssh' he hissed at her 'someone will hear you!'

'Sorry…' she chewed on her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing out loud.

'Who the hell put those stupid things up there anyway?' he frowned, staring at the offending piece of metal.

'Joey…' Lauren whispered softly, reaching up to kiss his neck 'Focus, baby' her hand skimmed the front of his pants, caressing his length, drawing his attention back to her.

He cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers, turning them both awkwardly to press her back against the cubicle wall, his tongue traced the seam of her lips, seeking entry. Lauren opened her mouth to him and his tongue thrust into her mouth, she moaned, grabbing his waist and pulling him closer to her. Although she was into the foreplay and the soft kisses and caresses approach, it had been far too long since they had been together and she just wanted to cut to the chase. Her hand brushed over the front of his pants again, which were slightly tented due to his arousal.

'God, babe...' he groaned, his hips bucking against her hand. With a confidence she wasn't used to exhibiting, she unfastened his pants and thrust her hand into his underwear, wrapping her fingers around his length and starting to stroke him. Joey rested his hands on the wall either side of her shoulders, leaning forward slightly, placing his weight on his hands as his hips moved in time with her hand.

Lauren was beginning to feel frustrated. Joey seemed to be happy to let her pleasure him and leave her hanging, so to speak. Deciding to help things along a little, using her free hand she pulled up her skirt, the action causing her hips to bump Joey's. He glanced down to see what she was doing and readily began to help her, pushing her knickers down. She wriggled them down to her ankles and then raised one foot, Joey slipped them off and stuffed them into his pocket, he grabbed the condom he had put there earlier, pulling it out with a grin.

Lauren smiled at him and she took the condom from him, tore the little square package open with her teeth, Joey took the condom out of the wrapper and Lauren removed her hand from his erection and pushed his trousers down, watching with eager anticipation as Joey rolled the condom on. She grinned as she thought they had teamwork down to a tee. 'Joey…please…need you…' she whispered as his hands moved to her waist. She placed her hands on his shoulders and jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist. He smiled at her before bowing his head to watch as he positioned himself at her entrance. He slid the head inside and pushed her back against the wall, thrusting all the way inside her. She let out a loud contented groan, her head hitting the cubicle wall with a soft thump.

'Sssh' Joey chastised her again gently as he began to move inside her at a frantic pace, eager for them both to reach their peaks. It had been too long since he'd been with her and he was already close to coming thanks to her earlier stroking, his hand delved between their bodies to rub her clit roughly and she trembled in his arms.

'Joey…' she whispered urgently. His mouth closed over hers as she clenched around him so tightly he thought he was going to combust. Breaking the kiss for air, she buried her face in his neck 'Oh god Joey!' she whispered, riding through her climax 'Joey!' she bit down bluntly on his shoulder and he erupted inside of her, pulsing over and over as he reached his release.

Both of them were breathless and their limbs felt as though they were made of jelly. Joey withdrew from her and carefully removed the condom, dropping in into the toilet and flushing. He gently helped Lauren to her feet, and then tucked his wilting cock inside his pants, zipping them up, Lauren straightened her skirt and reached for his pocket to retrieve her knickers. Joey's hand covered hers.

'Oh no…you can have those back later' he told her with a sly smile.

'Joey!' she hissed at him.

'Trust me' he whispered, moving forward to kiss her deeply 'it'll be worth it' he promised her. He stole one more kiss and then smoothed her hair down, tucking it behind her ear. He unlocked the door and peered out, turning back to her with a grin 'Give me a head start then follow' he winked at her and walked out of the cubicle. Lauren locked the door behind him, placing her hand on her chest, she could feel her heart racing beneath her palm. She smiled, closing her eyes, resting her head on the wall. Joey Branning certainly knew how to show a girl a good time. And she was looking forward to finding out what else he had in store for her tonight.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** Oh no poor Lauren's been ill and she and Joey haven't been together for 2 whole weeks! I bet they start making up that time! Let me know what you think, leave me a review. If you want another chapter tonight then you know what to do. Back later…maybe. **


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter Sixty-Six**

Lauren waited ten minutes before she followed Joey out of the toilets. She moved behind the bar to start serving the people waiting for a drink. She was self-conscious for the rest of the evening without having her underwear on. She turned her head and glared at Joey and saw him smirking at her, he patted his pocket with a wink and she frowned at him. She wasn't entirely sure the fact she wasn't wearing any knickers was supposed to do anything for her, but she was pretty sure Joey was loving it, loving the control and power he had over her. Her thoughts drifted unwillingly to Jake, Jake also liked to have power and control over her, although he would exhibit it in different ways than Joey. A cold shiver ran through her and she frowned.

'Get one for yourself darling' she heard someone say as he handed her some money. She brought herself a vodka and coke, handing the change back to the customer. She turned and drank it down in one go. Putting the empty glass in the washer.

Ricky went on his break a few minutes later and the bar became empty. The club wasn't that busy tonight and Lauren knew there was no need for 3 bar staff. She contemplated telling Joey she was going home early, Jake wasn't there as he'd gone to Bexley this morning, telling her he wouldn't be back for a few days. This time he'd left her some money before he left and he told her he was glad she was feeling and looking better. Lauren smiled to herself as she realised this meant she could spend the night with Joey…if he wanted her to.

Glancing up at him she saw him leaning on the back of the bar, sipping a coke and watching the crowd like he always did when the bar was quiet. She smiled to herself and walked over to him. 'You know its quite liberating not wearing underwear. Not to mention it's airy and it feels…hmmm' she sighed and her brow furrowed a little as she thought, her bottom lip was pulled between her teeth and Joeys cock twitched in his pants 'it feels good and it feels sexy. I may do it more often' she said as she walked past him to look in the ice bucket. 'Oh I'll just get this refilled' she said to him. Joey watched her opened mouthed as she walked towards the staffroom. She glanced at him over her shoulder and winked at him. His little kitten was getting confident with her sexuality. He liked it. A lot.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

After the club closed, the three of them were cleaning up. Lauren balanced the tills and gathered all the receipts up and logged the takings in the book and went through to the office to put the money in the safe. She noticed the bag of money already there and realised there would be too much money there to be kept in the safe over-night. She filled in the bank deposit book and counted the money out again. Putting some money in the safe and the rest in the night deposit bag. She grabbed her coat and bag from her locker in the staff room before heading back to the bar.

'Okay. I'm going to head home' she sad to them 'Make a stop at the bank on the way' she told them 'I'll see you tomorrow night' she called out, walking to the stairs. She left the club before either of them could protest.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren's premature departure meant that Joey's bad mood returned. After 14 days of not seeing her of not fucking her he was hoping there would be at least more than a quick fumble in the girl's toilets at the club. Clearly he'd been mistaken. The rest of the club was cleaned up in a stony uncomfortable silence.

Joey locked the club up and headed back to his flat, feeling more than a little pissed off at the turn of events. He pushed the door shut behind him and dropped his keys onto the coffee table. He walked through to the bedroom, shrugging his jacket off as he went and headed into the bathroom.

After a quick shower, he toweled himself dry, flicking off the light he moved into the bedroom in the dark, pulling back the covers and getting into his bed.

'Hello lover' Lauren whispered.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

'Lauren?' Joey exclaimed sitting up in the bed.

'Expecting someone else?' she asked him.

Joey flicked on the lamp on his bedside table and saw Lauren lying down in the bed facing him.

'Surprise' she smiled at him. Joey blinked at her.

'What are you doing here, Lauren?' he asked her a little stunned she was there.

'I thought I'd surprise you' she said sitting up, letting the sheet drop to her waist as she leant forward and kissed his shoulder. 'And get my knickers back….'

'Well you certainly surprised me Joey said his eyes dropping to her breasts briefly. 'I thought you'd gone home'

'I know, that's what I wanted you to think' she smiled at him teasingly, her lips pressing against his shoulder again, sliding her hand over his chest and dipping under the sheet. Joey liked this new found confidence she had 'and we don't have to rush tonight…he's gone to Bexley for a few days so if you wanted me to stay…'

'I want you to stay' he told her 'and you're not getting your knickers back, I'm keeping them' he told her as his mouth closed over hers.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** Well as promised here is the second chapter tonight. I bet Joey was wondering why Lauren had gone home earlier in the chapter…she wanted to surprise him and surprise him she did. Let me know what you think, leave me a review. Back tomorrow. Xx **


	68. Chapter 68

**Chapter Sixty Seven**

After an enjoyable night spent with Joey, he made her breakfast and they'd eaten it in bed. He'd told Lauren there was something he wanted to try with her and she had agreed enthusiastically without even knowing what it was. Now, however, she wasn't so sure. Lauren swallowed nervously as Joey tied her wrists to the bed frame with some silk scarves, she wasn't sure about this at all. He looked down at her and his eyes were dark with desire, sparkling with lust. She shivered at the sheer carnal joy she knew he was going to give her. She was pretty certain he could persuade her to perform any sexual act he wanted her to…in fact, she mused he'd already persuaded her to try quite a few already. He grinned as he finished securing her second wrist 'Too tight?' he asked her softly, his face above hers.

'No' she whispered, shaking her head.

'Good' he pressed a soft kiss to her lips, before crawling down the bed and producing another two scarves. He used these to secure her ankles to the bed too. Lauren swallowed again wondering exactly what it was he had planned for her. He got off the bed, surveying his work with a satisfied smile. 'I just need to get a few more things. Don't move' he smirked at her. He walked out of the room and through into the kitchen. He frowned as he realised he'd forgotten to pick something up when he was shopping this morning. Lauren frowned as she heard the door to the flat slam shut.

'J…Joey?' she called out. She heard nothing in reply 'Joey?!' she called out again. Whatever kinky sex game he was playing with her she could guarantee this time he'd gone too far. She pulled her wrists and ankles trying to get free, but he'd tied the knots pretty well. They weren't even coming loose. In fact, if anything, her struggling was just pulling them tighter. 'I'm going to kill you Joseph Branning' she muttered under her breath.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey had his required items in his hand and handed the cash to Denise with a smile. 'Do you want a bag, love?' she asked him, looking down at his purchases.

Joey grinned and shook his head 'no thanks' he said brazenly. He walked out holding his goods in his hands, pausing and turning when he heard his name being called. He glanced at the flat before turning back to see Max running towards him.

'Just the person' Max said a little out of breath. 'I need to you to help me for five minutes please'

Joey frowned 'it's really not a good time Uncle Max' Joey told him.

'Five minutes is all I need please…the car has broken down just around the corner from the lot. I need help pushing it to the Arches'

'All right. Five minutes' Joey said glancing again at the flat, hoping Lauren wasn't too mad with him. He didn't have to worry about her not being there when he got back because he'd tied the knots on the scarves pretty tightly. He chuckled to himself as he jogged after his uncle.

Fifteen minutes later, the car was at the Arches 'thanks, Joey' Max said panting 'you're a life saver. I'll buy you a beer at the Vic' he clapped Joey on the back and put his arms around his shoulders.

'Actually I can't. I have someone waiting for me at the flat' Joey told him 'she may be pretty pissed off at me right about now' he admitted with a sheepish smile.

Max frowned at him 'why didn't you say so?' he said picking up the items from the top of the car and glancing at them 'you probably won't need the condoms now though' he gave them back to Joey 'she's probably already taken off'

'I doubt that' Joey grinned at him cockily.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren heard the door open and close again. 'Joseph Branning! You get in here and untie me this second!' She yelled at him angrily.

'I'll be right there, babe!' he called back with a grin. He went into the kitchen and got a couple of things he needed and put them on the side, stripping off his clothes until he was just wearing his black boxer shorts. He grabbed the items off the side and slowly walked through to the bedroom.

'Where the fuck did you go?' she snapped at him, raising her head off the pillows to glare at him. 'I've been here for like half an hour'

'Relax babe, you've only been here for twenty minutes' he smiled at her 'the knots held I see' he said grinning at her as he walked into the room and sat down on the bed with his back to her and placing the items on the bedside table.

'I'm serious, Joey' she said frowning at him. 'Untie these fucking scarves so I can get dressed and go home.'

Joey turned round and climbed onto the bed, laying down beside her 'come on baby, don't be that way' he told her softly, moving closer to her. He ran his fingers over her cheek, over her collar bone and over the fullness of one of her breasts and lower, 'you know I'm going to make it up to you' he told her softly, his hand running over her torso, her flat stomach and then lower to delve between her legs. She let out a soft moan and he smiled 'you know you can't stay mad at me, baby' he smirked at her.

'This is not fair. I would've been gone if I was able to get off the bed' she said through clenched teeth determined she wasn't going to let him see how much she was currently enjoying his fingers dancing between her thighs.

'I'm sorry, I had to go out to pick up something I'd forgotten' he told her and then I bumped into Uncle Max who needed a favour and being such a good nephew I had to help…'

'Leaving me here naked and tied to your bed' she frowned at him angrily.

'You knew I was coming back…and it wasn't as though I could tell him why I was in such a rush to come back here could I?' he said bending his head and kissing her softly, his tongue slid into her mouth at the same time as he pushed a finger inside her. 'Besides it gave me incentive' Lauren moaned into his mouth and he slowly moved his finger in and out of her, a second finger joining the first. He moved them in and out of her body in a slow lazy rhythm, eliciting low moans from Lauren. 'I'll make it up to you baby I promise' he whispered against her lips. 'If you want me to untie you I will' he said pulling back to look at her 'but I'm really hoping you don't because I've been looking forward to this'

Lauren stared into his eyes, she was torn between what to do. She was still angry with him but the way his fingers were moving in such a delightful way between her legs. 'This better be good, Joey!' she told him

'It will be, babe, for both of us' he said bending his head to kiss her again.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** I will reply to the ones from yesterday and tonight tomorrow. Well Joey's certainly showing Lauren everything he can about sex and different ways to enjoy herself. I wonder what he has in store for her now he's back at the flat. I think he left her there like that for a little bit longer than he intended too but at least he knew she would still be there when he got back. So what did you all think of that chapter, let me know, leave a review. Back tomorrow x **


	69. Chapter 69

**Chapter Sixty-Eight**

Lauren was on the edge of her peak and Joey knew it, he removed his fingers from between her thighs and her eyes fluttered open in surprise, she watched as Joey licked his fingers clean. He smiled at her 'I don't know about you but I'm feeling kind of hungry' he told her, raising his eyebrows at her. Lauren frowned as he moved off the bed and grabbed something off the bedside table. It was another silk scarf. 'Do you trust me?' he asked her, she nodded her head.

'Of course I do' she whispered.

'Even after I left you tied up and naked to my bed?' he asked her softly.

'Well… you came back didn't you?' she smiled at him, he nodded his head.

'Then you'll trust me enough to let me blindfold you?' Lauren's heart faltered in her chest, she wasn't sure about that and Joey could see the hesitation and fear in her eyes. 'Okay, I'll tell you what. I want you to keep your eyes closed, can you do that for me?' she nodded her head 'whatever you feel, no matter how strange it feels?'

'Okay' she said and she closed her eyes.

'There's a good kitten' Joey smiled. She felt his lips on hers and then something cold being placed on her nipple, she shivered involuntarily. 'Are you hungry too baby?' he asked her.

'Mmhmm' she nodded her head once.

'Open your mouth then' he said softly. She did as he asked and she felt something being pushed into her mouth she bit down on it and she smiled as she tasted strawberry.

'Mmmm' she moaned at the taste. 'Strawberries'

'Are they good?'

'Yes' she smiled 'they're delicious'

'They are? Let's see' he whispered. Lauren felt his lips kiss the fullness of her breast and then the coldness over her nipple disappeared. 'Mmm, you're right, they are good' he told her 'there's something missing though…' she heard a squirting noise 'open your mouth' she opened it eagerly and Joey's finger slid inside, she sucked off the cream from his finger. 'You can't have strawberries without cream can you?' he asked her.

'Nope' Lauren shook her head with a giggle 'you definitely can't'

'Good job I popped out then hey?' he asked her with a smile, he kissed her lips gently and she heard the squirting noise again and then more coldness on her breasts. She squirmed and giggled.

'Shit! Joey that's cold' she squirmed some more.

'Keep still' he laughed at her. Once his handy work was done, he smiled, picking his mobile phone off the bedside table, he walked to the foot of the bed and he took a couple of pictures of her.

'What are you doing?' Lauren asked him.

'Admiring my work' Joey said to her, glancing at her, making sure her eyes were shut, happy they were he took another couple of pictures 'also just wondering where to start with my strawberry and cream feast' he told her. Joey put his phone back on his bedside table and then he climbed onto the bed, he bent his head and he kissed her lips, 'you look delicious' he whispered against her lips.

He took his time kissing and sucking on her neck before he moved lower. He moaned as his mouth closed over her cream and strawberry covered nipple, he ensured he had removed all traces of cream from her nipple and had her writhing and moaning beneath him before he moved to her other breast. He snuck a peek at Lauren and saw she had her eyes closed still and he smiled at her. He could see she was straining against the scarves he had secured her wrists to the bed with, he knew she craved to touch him. He wanted her to touch him, but this was all about teaching her to trust him, really trust him and so far she was proving she did. His lips travelled lower as he continued to enjoy his dessert.

He licked his lips as he looked at the cream and strawberry between her legs. He smiled and began to lick off the cream. Lauren could feel her orgasm building as his tongue worked wonders between her thighs. His tongue plunged inside her, he could taste the result of her desire…her desire for him. 'Joey please…' she whispered 'please…'

Taking pity on her he pressed a kiss to her clit and then sucked the little bud into his mouth, he slid three fingers into her body easily and began to pump them in and out of her in a frantic pace. His teeth bit down gently on her clit and she exploded around, screaming out his name again and again as the orgasm raced through her.

Lauren smiled happily as she recovered from her release, her release in more ways than one. Joey had untied the scarves and her legs and arms were now free and wrapped around the very sexy and talented man who had once again shown her new heights of pleasure.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey watched as Lauren rolled the condom onto his cock and then wrapped her hand around him and stroked him firmly a few times. She looked up at him with a smile as he moaned. He took a breath as she straddled him and sank down onto his cock letting out a satisfied moan.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey brushed her hair away from her face, pausing to brush his lips against hers. 'See I told you I would make it up to you' he whispered against her lips. 'Am I forgiven?' he asked her, pulling back to gaze into her eyes.

She nodded her head 'yes, you are forgiven' she replied with a smile.

'Good. Now I don't know about you but I think a shower is needed, we're both sticky' he took her hand and pulled her off the bed and led her towards the bathroom. The door buzzer sounded and Joey frowned. 'You make a start, I'll join you as soon as I have got rid of whoever it is' he said to her, stealing a kiss. Joey grabbed his robe off the back of the door, pulling it on as he walked towards the door to the flat, smiling when he heard the shower start up. He'd just tied up the robe when he got to the bottom of the stairs, opening the door he was surprised at who he found there. 'Jake?' he said 'I thought you were in Bexley?'

'I was, had a row with my parents and came back. I'm looking for Lauren. She's not at home and she's left her phone there'

'Oh… I don't know where she is I haven't seen her since she left the club last night to go home' he said licking his lips. 'Listen I…um…I have someone here…' he told him nodding towards the flat.

'Oh sorry' Jake said 'If you see her will you tell her I'm looking for her?'

'Yeah course but to be honest I don't plan on leaving the flat any time soon if you know what I mean?'

Jake nodded his head with a smile 'Lucky sod' he called over his shoulder as he walked away.

Joey closed the door behind him, letting out a sigh of relief. He ran back up the stairs and slipped off his robe as he stepped into the shower behind Lauren.

'Who was at the door?' she asked him turning around to face him. His cock jumped as he looked at her wet naked body.

'We don't need to worry about that now' he said pulling her into his arms.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** . Well I think we can safely say that Joey made it up to Lauren and then some! OH NO! Jake is back! And he's looking for Lauren. Joey told a big fib there. I wonder if he's going to tell Lauren. What do you think happens next? Leave me a review back tomorrow x**


	70. Chapter 70

**Chapter Sixty nine**

After they'd showered and dressed. Lauren looked up at Joey as they made his bed. 'So who was at the door?' she asked him.

'Jake' Joey replied. 'Apparently he came back from Bexley early and he couldn't find you' he told her. 'You left your phone at home'

Lauren closed her eyes, feeling all the colour drain from her face as she realised Joey was talking to Jake whilst she was in his shower, naked and waiting for him. She sat down on the bed. 'Why didn't you tell me when you came back?' she frowned at him as he crossed the room to sit beside her.

'Because I didn't want him to ruin the day' he told her softly. 'Because I wanted you to myself for a little while longer'

Lauren closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands 'what did you tell him?'

'Clearly I didn't tell him you were naked in my shower' he told her 'I told him I hadn't seen you since you left the club last night and I had someone here so…' she looked up at him 'I didn't tell him it was you' he told her softly. 'Jake's probably gone home to wait for you' he told her.

'And how is it going to look when I go home in the clothes I was wearing last night at the club?' she frowned at him.

'Well he doesn't know what you were wearing for work last night does he?' Joey said to her.

'He knows the kind of clothes I wear for work and this is my work gear. He's not stupid, Joey' she frowned at him, getting up to pace the floor. 'How am I going to explain this away?' she said almost to herself.

'Relax' Joey said standing up, 'you haven't got to go back straight away, have you hey?' he asked her.

'And where do I tell him I've been?' she asked him with a frown.

'Tell him you went shopping' he told her.

'With what? He knows I have no money to go shopping with' she pulled away from him and stormed through to the lounge, grabbing her coat and pulling it on.

'You can't leave now' Joey told her, grabbing her arm as she opened the door. 'Look he doesn't know where you are does he?' he asked her. She shook her head, he closed the door, leading her to the sofa. 'Listen, babe' Joey told her as he sat her down, he perched on the coffee table in front of her. 'He knows I have somewhere here, but he doesn't know it was you' Joey told her 'Look, we sit tight for an hour and then I'll call him and meet up with him somewhere and you can sneak home, get changed and call him'

'Where do I tell him I've been?' she asked him.

'That you've been up the West End window shopping' he told her. 'You weren't expecting him back were you? He's not going to think anything of it. He isn't going to know what we've been doing' he said softly. Lauren nodded her head, licking her lips.

'Okay' she said softly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Once Lauren got home she showered again, changed and then went downstairs and picked up her phone. She saw she had a voice mail. She dialed Jake's number. He picked up after three rings.

'Lauren, you're home?' he said

'Yes, just got in. I left my phone on the side' she said 'I guess I need to get used to having one. Remember to take it with me when I go out'

'Where have you been?' he demanded.

'I went up the West End' Lauren said 'did some window shopping' she used the alibi Joey had given her.

'How did you get there?' he asked her.

'I walked' she replied 'It was nice to be outside having been cooped up in the house after being sick for so long'

'So you're feeling better?' Jake asked

'Yes, much better, thanks to you looking after me' she said softly. 'How are your parents?' she kept up the pretense of thinking he was still in Bexley.

'Don't get me started' he sighed 'I came home early, saw you weren't home and you'd left your phone behind'

'I'm sorry' she told him.

'I'm at the pub with Joey, why don't you come over?'

'I don't want to interrupt things…'she told him.

'You won't. Alice is here too' he told her 'she's driving her brother crazy…you'd be doing me a favour if you came'

'Okay. I'm on my way' she said

'I'll see you soon' he replied and hung up.

Lauren pressed the disconnect button on her phone and pushed it into her jeans pocket and grabbed her keys.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Later, after Lauren was in bed she thought about the day's events. Her earlier anxiety and nervousness about Jake's early return and him being able to catch her out in a lie had been fruitless. He was none the wiser. Hers and Joey's secret was safe. She smiled as she thought about Joey. She couldn't imagine not having Joey in her life. He was important to her. He made her feel things she'd never dreamt she'd feel. She knew she was falling in love with him, she also know she could never let him know that because she was certain he would end things between them. They were only supposed to be a bit of fun. She rolled over in the bed and glanced at Jake. She could never ever let Jake find out about her and Joey. She was afraid of what Jake would do to Joey if he knew the things he'd been doing to his wife. Things she'd be happily letting him do. She sighed and turned back onto her side and stared at the bedside clock. She knew she wasn't going to sleep tonight. She flipped back the covers and crept out of the room and went downstairs.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** I think Joey should have told Lauren right away and not carried on getting his end away in the shower! Poor Lauren, she's so worried that Jake will figure things out. I do feel sorry for her. Joey doesn't seem to understand the very dangerous position he's putting Lauren in…or maybe he does and he doesn't care. If I have at least 20 reviews by 8:00pm then you could get another chapter tonight. It's up to you! Leave me a review x**


	71. Chapter 71

**Chapter Seventy**

The next morning, Jake took Lauren out for breakfast at the café and he talked her through how to use the phone. She pretended she was learning this for the first time and Jake was pleased she seemed to be completely clueless to how the phone worked.

Alice, and Derek came in and Alice grinned at Lauren and waved. Lauren grinned back at her.

'So what do you plan to do today?' Jake asked Lauren.

'I thought I'd help Alice plan the surprise birthday for Derek' she said to him 'If it's okay with you' she glanced at him 'I don't have to work a shift until later'

'You really like Alice don't you?' he asked her.

'Yes' Lauren nodded her head 'and Derek' she told him honestly.

'Of course it's okay, so the surprise party, what are you thinking?'

'Alice is indecisive about what to do. Throw a party at the club or the Vic or a small get together at the house' Lauren told him 'Joey's going out of his mind with her toing and froing…' she trailed off as Alice and Derek walked past them 'I said I'd try to get her to settle on one…Oh…I also promised to sort out the cake…'

'I can do that' Jake said

'Yeah?' Lauren asked in surprise 'really?

'Absolutely' Jake nodded his head 'find out what he likes and I'll sort it'

'Thank you' Lauren said with a smile.

'You're welcome' he said to her returning her smile. 'See, this is better isn't it?' he asked her 'us getting on?'

Lauren swallowed and nodded her head 'yes it is' she said softly.

'Well I guess I'd better get to work. Have fun today' he said and he reached across the table and kissed her on the lips before she could react and turn her head to one side. She frowned and looked down as he got up and left. She pushed her unfinished breakfast away from her.

'Well that looked cosy' she heard Joey's voice as he walked passed her to join his family. She stared at him for a seconds before getting up and leaving the café.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren lingered outside the café, waiting for Joey to leave. When he did leave he wasn't alone as she'd hoped he would be, instead he was with Alice and Derek. Keeping back at a safe distance she followed then back to Derek's house. Sighing as the three of them went inside. She frowned and sat down in the gardens, knowing she would see Joey leave Derek's house and be able to go after him, assuming he was alone.

She didn't have to wait long, some twenty minutes later Joey came out of the house alone and cut through the gardens on the way back to his flat. His footsteps faltered when he saw Lauren and then he continued walking, clearly not planning on stopping.

'Joey?' Lauren said his name softly. He sighed and stopped walked just as he made it to the gates and he turned to look at her, pushing his hands into his jacket pockets.

'What?' he asked her.

'He kissed me' she said in a low voice 'I didn't kiss him!' Joey blinked and he walked over to the bench and sat down a few inches away from her.

'You two seemed cosy, all smiles and kisses' he said, his voice twinged with jealousy.

'You sound jealous' she guessed.

'I'm not jealous' he scoffed at her suggestion.

'Then what's your problem?' she frowned at him 'would you rather he was beating the living daylights out of me all the time? Would that make you feel better?' she asked him getting up and moving past him. Joey frowned getting to his feet and jogging after her.

'No of course not' he said walking in step beside her. 'Just seeing you with him like that…it got to me okay' he admitted to her 'you looked happy'

'Oh well heaven forbid I'm happy' Lauren rolled her eyes at him.

'I meant with Jake. You looked happy with Jake' he said grabbing her arm and dragging her down the alleyway between the pub and the MinuteMart. He pulled her around the corner and pushed her against the wall and moving forward to kiss her.

'What are you doing?!' she hissed at him, pushing him away.

'Kissing you…or at least trying to' he frowned at her, taken aback by her rejection.

'You can't act like a jealous schoolboy one minute and then try to kiss me the next' she told him shaking her head.

'Jealous schoolboy? I'm not acting like a jealous schoolboy?'

'Then what the hell was that all about in the café?' she shot back.

Joey looked down and took a deep breath 'I…it kills me to see you with Jake, laughing and smiling with Jake and to see you kissing him…'

'I already told you I didn't kiss him, he kissed me' Lauren frowned at him.

'Okay…I just…I see you with him and I get … jealous. I get jealous thinking about you sleeping in the same bed with him night after night…thinking about what could be happening' he admitted to her.

'I've already told you nothing happens' Lauren said to him softly.

'I want to spend more time with you' Joey told her.

'I'm already spending more time with you than I do with Jake, in and out of the bedroom' she said 'Jake's hardly ever around anymore, the restaurant keeps him busy'

Joey nodded his head, sighing and taking a step away from her, her eyes followed him cautiously as he leant against the opposite wall, facing her. 'It's your birthday in a couple of weeks' he said changing the subject. 'What are your plans?' he asked her 'Is Jake taking you out?'

'Jake never remembers my birthday' Lauren told him looking down at her shoes 'It passes by like any other day'

'Then I want to do something to make it special' he told her 'take you away somewhere for a couple of days' he waited for a reply. Lauren looked up at him as she thought about what he was suggesting, how much she would love being able to spend forty-eight hours with Joey, she also knew how risky it would be to just disappear for two days. The silence between them grew longer and Joey felt even more nervous as he waited for her response.

'As great as that sounds, Joey, all I really want for my birthday is a divorce from Jake' she said with a sigh.

'Well, then I'll help you start to put everything in motion. I've already done the research and all you need to start things off is to complete a divorce petition form and enclose a copy of your marriage certificate…'

'It's not as simple as that, Joey' Lauren said leaning her head back against the wall, closing her eyes as she went through the same thing again, 'for one thing I don't have the money I need to be able to file for divorce and Jake will contest it. He can pay for solicitors and I can't'

Joey took a couple of steps closer to her 'I'll come up with the money, and I'm sure Uncle Max knows a good solicitor who doesn't charge much, or even better, does pro-bono work' he suggested with a smile. 'With Jake out of the picture it will make things easier for us to see each other'

'You don't get it do you, Joey?' Lauren looked at him incredulously 'This isn't all about you. It's my marriage you're talking about here, my life. You think you can throw money at me…you think you can buy me?' she frowned at him 'You pay for my divorce and then what? You own me? You control me? I already have a husband that does that I don't need a lover that does it too. You're just like Jake' she spat at him angrily. She pushed way from the wall and started to walk back towards the entrance to the alleyway, Joey grabbed her arm, pulling her round to face him.

'I. Am. Nothing. Like. Jake' he said through gritted teeth as he pushed her back up against the wall. The two of them were glaring at each other angrily, Joey moved forward and kissed her, forcing his tongue between her lips and into her mouth. Lauren struggled against him, pushing him away from her, her face reddening with anger. Joey blinked at her, knowing he'd overstepped the mark.

'No, you're nothing like Jake' she spat at him, pushing past him and running out of the alleyway, leaving him behind. He frowned, running his hands over his face and then through his hair.

'Fuck!' he growled, feeling angry with himself for being such a dick.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews ****. Well it's looks as though Joey has just gone and out his foot in it big time! Acting as though Lauren is his property and not taking into account she is married and they are having an affair. And Lauren's comparing him to Jake, I wonder how that has made Joey feel.. And how is he going to get out of this mess? Does he get out of this mess? Leave me a reveiw. Back tomorrow**


	72. Chapter 72

**Chapter Seventy-One**

Joey spent the next couple of hours trying to work out where he went wrong, trying to figure out what he'd done or said to make Lauren so pissed off at him. As far as he could tell he hadn't really done anything that warranted her fury. All he'd done was offer to take her away for a few days and celebrate her birthday and to help pay for a divorce from her husband. Those were nice things, good things, right? So why was she so annoyed about it? He frowned and went back into the café and ordered a couple of coffees before he headed over to the car lot to see Max.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Once Lauren had calmed down she headed over to Alice's to discuss Derek's birthday. Derek was still there and Alice gave her a "what do we do?" look.

'Let's go back to mine' Lauren whispered.

'Are you sure?' Alice whispered back, all the time she'd known Lauren she'd never been invited back to hers.

'Do you have another idea?' Lauren raised her eyebrows at her friend.

'No' she said shaking her head 'Dad, I'm off out with Lauren!' she called out grabbing her coat and bag, the two of them heading out of the door before he could reply.

Lauren unlocked the door with her keys, 'hello?' she called out, hoping Jake wasn't home. She let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding when she got no reply from Jake. 'Come on in' she said turning to Alice with a smile. She led her into the kitchen 'Coffee?'

'Please' Alice nodded her head as she followed Lauren along the hallway.

'So what kind of things are you thinking off for your dad's birthday? Is he a surprise party kind of man?' Lauren asked her.

'Everyone likes surprises' Alice said taking a seat at the kitchen table, watching Lauren make coffee.

'Not everyone likes surprises, Alice' Lauren glanced at her over her shoulder. 'Maybe you should sound out your uncle Max or Jack, see what they think?'

'You sound just like Joey' Alice frowned at her.

'Maybe Joey has a point then' Lauren replied. She turned to look at Alice as she waited for the kettle to boil.

'Joey just likes being right all the time' Alice told her with a pout. 'I'm sure dad will love a surprise party' she told her, 'he's my dad too, I know him just as well as Joey does'

'Joey's known him longer' Lauren teased her.

'He says that too' Lauren narrowed her eyes at her 'have you been talking to Joey about this behind my back?'

'There has been no talking about anything behind your back' Lauren told her 'so…let's grab a pen and paper and do some brainstorming, come up with some ideas and venues for this party'

'Okay' Alice nodded her head in agreement as Lauren reached into the kitchen drawer and pulled out a notepad and pen. She gave them to Alice and quickly made the coffee, carrying the cups over to the table and taking a seat. Three hours later they'd made a pretty substantial list of potential venues, themes, food and guests. Lauren had drawn the line at games, much to Alice's disappointment. After three hours of party planning, Lauren needed a drink, so the two girls headed towards the Vic. Lauren told Alice she would meet her in there and went to see if she could get some money from Jake.

She hesitantly pushed through the doors leading to the restaurant and her eyes searched for her husband. She saw him standing at the bar. Taking a deep breath, steeling herself up for a confrontation she walked over to him. He looked up as she reached him and she smiled tentatively at him.

'Hey' he said surprised to see her 'what are you doing here?' he asked her.

'Are you busy?' she asked him

'No, of course not' he shook his head 'what do you want?'

'Money' Lauren said deciding she would get straight to the point 'I was wondering if I could have some money to get a drink at the Vic, I've just spent three hours party planning with Alice and need a double of something really, really strong…maybe even a treble' she explained. She saw amusement in Jake's eyes and surprising her he reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and held a £20 out to her. She blinked, taking the money from him 'thank you' she said with a small smile.

'You want to get some food too if you're going to drink' he told her.

'I will' she nodded her head, turning and walking out of the restaurant, a bad feeling rising in the pit of her stomach as she headed towards the Vic. That was far too easy than it should've been and she wondered what Jake would want in return.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

She walked into the Vic and saw Joey sitting with Alice who was showing him the lists they'd drawn up. She looked at the money in her hand with a frown.

'Lauren!' Alice called out, Looking up she saw Alice waving at her with a grin on her face. She sighed and walked over to the table, pushing the money into her pocket. 'Joey's been reading through our ideas and he loves them'

'Some of them, Al' Joey corrected, peering at Lauren 'not all of them' Lauren slipped onto the empty barstool.

'I got you a drink' Alice said pushing drink towards Lauren, ignoring Joey's last comment. 'Double vodka and coke because I know I can be a nightmare sometimes'

'Sometimes?' Lauren said reaching for the glass. 'Only sometimes?' she teased her.

'Yes, _sometimes_, hey!' Alice pouted as she giggled.

Joey smiled at the interaction between the two of them, he tried to catch Lauren's eyes but she wouldn't even look at him. He sighed and licked his lips. 'Personally I think dad would rather have a party at the Vic' he said to them both 'he'd feel more comfortable here'

'But he comes in here every day' Alice protested 'it wouldn't be special, it would be more of the same but with streamers'

'Streamers are different' Lauren said with a shrug, 'but…I think Joey is right' she admitted hating the fact that he was. 'This is where your dad feels comfortable, you don't want to arrange a party in a place you know he isn't going to enjoy being in and I'm sorry to say it Al, but the club is one of those places'

Alice frowned at her 'I hate when you and Joey gang up on me'

'We're not ganging up on you' Joey jumped in 'throwing dad a party was your idea and you asked us both for help…we're helping' he told her 'you know we're right about the venue' he said softly 'and possibly about the surprise party'

'Lauren suggested I talk to Uncle Max or Jack about whether or not they think he'd like a surprise party' Alice told him and she frowned at him 'do you really think he would hate it?'

'Yes I do, just like I would hate a surprise party…like father like son' Joey said to her. 'Why don't you go and see Uncle Max now I saw him go into the car lot as I came in here?' he suggested to him 'then you'll have your answer and you can stop worrying about it, can't you, hey?'

Alice looked up at him and nodded 'okay I will…keep Lauren company for me' she said, grabbing her things 'thanks for your help today Lauren' she said giving her a brief hug and darting out of the door.

'I swear she's like a dog with a bone when she gets an idea in her head' Joey said trying to make some conversation.

'Like someone else I know' Lauren replied taking another sip of her drink.

'We need to talk' Joey said

'Do we?' Lauren replied.

'Yes. Meet me in the club in five minutes' he said to her.

'Is that an order?' her eyes met his challengingly.

'No, it's a plea' Joey told her. He held her gaze for a few seconds then got up and left the pub.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** I'm having issues with the replying to them all so when I have figured out what the issue is I will be able to reply to them again! Well…Jake's being nice still…even nicer giving her money, is Lauren right is he going to want something in return? I wonder? And will she go and meet Joey and let him apologise? Leave me a review back tomorrow.**


	73. Chapter 73

**Chapter Seventy Two**

Joey waited for half an hour, he'd almost given up hope that Lauren was going to come when he heard the door to the club open and close, followed by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. He looked up as Lauren came into the club. 'I didn't think you were coming' he said to her.

'I nearly didn't' she told him.

'I'm sorry' Joey told her 'I realise I was acting like a jerk and I wanted to apologise properly' he told her as she walked closer to the bar 'so I got you these' he told her as he reached behind the bar and pulled out a huge bouquet of pink and white roses.

'Joey…they're beautiful' Lauren gasped her hand flying up to her chest 'you didn't have to do that'

'Yes. I did' he nodded his head as he walked round to stand beside her, she took the flowers from him and inhaled the scent of the roses.

'No one's brought me flowers before' she said looking up at him. 'Thank you' she said putting the flowers down on the bar and wrapping her arms around his neck.

'You should have someone buy you flowers everyday' he murmured against her ear. 'I really am sorry, kitten' he pulled back to look at her 'I overstepped the mark, I just get so jealous sometimes'

Lauren nodded her head 'I know and I'm sorry I was mad at you'

'No, never be sorry for being mad at me when I've done something wrong' Joey told her softly 'we have to be honest with each other or we're not going to work'

'I thought we were just a bit of fun' Lauren said looking up at him.

Joey stroked her cheek lightly with his fingertips, 'I think we both know we're more than that' he whispered softly. Lauren nodded her head in agreement as Joey's fingers moved into her hair, cupping her head 'are we okay now?' he asked her.

'Yes' Lauren whispered moving forward and pressing her lips against his.

They spent a few hours sitting on one of the seats, talking and kissing softly. Lauren promised to think about Joey's suggestion of taking her away for her birthday and in turn Joey promised to not pressure Lauren into a divorce.

Lauren was smiling when she returned to her house, humming to herself as she put the flowers into a vase.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

That night, Lauren was washing up the dishes in the sink, after Jake had cooked them dinner. She was going over in her mind the conversation they'd had when he'd come from work. He hadn't been happy to see flowers in the kitchen and had quizzed her about them. 'Where did these come from?' Jake asked her.

'Joey' Lauren said 'a thank you for helping Alice with the party arrangements' she told him.

'Surely just saying thank you would've sufficed' Jake muttered somewhat petulantly as he walked to the fridge.

'Maybe he wanted to say it with flowers' Lauren replied. Jake gave her a look and she took a deep breath. 'What's for dinner?' she asked him changing the subject.

'Steak' he replied glancing at Lauren.

He'd cooked dinner in silence and they'd ate it in silence too. Lauren wondered why he was being funny with her. Yes she'd lied about the real reason Joey had given her the flowers, it wasn't as though she could tell him the truth and tell her husband she'd had a quarrel with her lover. But the excuse she'd come up with was plausible and she knew Joey would back up her story if Jake chose to ask him about the flowers. She sighed again and focused on the washing up. She was going to be late for work as it was due to the fact Jake had been more than an hour late back from the restaurant. Jake then left her to clean up, telling her he was going out tonight and needed to get ready.

She was humming to herself again as she washed up, the roses sitting on the windowsill catching her eye every so often and making her smile. Part of her wanted to give Jake the £20 note back he'd given her but she didn't want to have to answer his questions about who paid for her drinks or food. So she decided she would keep it and give it to Joey to put in her "sock" at his place.

She was lost in thought as she washed the dishes, so much so she didn't hear Jake descend the stairs or come into the kitchen. The first she knew of him being there was the feeling of his hands pushing up her skirt and pushing her knickers roughly down her legs. Before she had time to react he'd kicked her feet apart, causing her to cling onto the sides of the sink to stop herself from falling, and thrust inside her without any warning. The pain she felt was indescribable, her mouth opened in a silent scream as her husband took her roughly and without care as she stood at the sink, her hands still immersed in the water. She knew this was the price she was paying for the money he'd given her and very possible for the flowers too.

The pain worsened with every single thrust from her husband. She feared she would be bruised or torn. The grunting behind her told her he was close to his climax, and she wished it would come sooner rather than later. One of his hands stayed on her hip, pulling her against him as he plunged into her in a punishing painful rhythm, the other moved between her legs and grasped her there tightly, he dug his fingers into her and she almost cried out in pain, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of vocalising the fact he was hurting her.

A few more painful thrusts combined with Jake's grunting and the ordeal was finally over. He pulled out of her and slapped her hard on the rear 'Make sure you finish the washing up before you go to work' he told her. Almost as an afterthought he reached for the roses Joey had given her, broke them in half and dumped them in the bin.

She stood tensely at the sink, waiting until she heard him leave the house before she let the tears fall. She stood at the kitchen sink, her knickers around her ankles feeling humiliated and sore.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. **** Sory I didn't post last night had major issues with Google Chrome! Joey and Lauren talked and she got an apology from him and they're back on track again! And I guess that Jake has showed his true colours yet again! Poor Lauren. If you want another chapter tonight then you need to let me have 22 reviews by 8:30pm Leave me a review.**


	74. Chapter 74

**Chapter Seventy-Three**

Lauren was later for her shift than she'd originally thought she would be. She kept her head down as she rushed into the staffroom and stashed her things away in her locker before she headed behind the bar. She ignored Joey, who was standing talking to Jake and moved to the other end of the bar to work with Ricky. Joey frowned but assumed she was avoiding him because of Jake. He glanced at her and saw she wasn't wearing her usual sexier bar attire, but instead was all in black. She was wearing a long sleeved baggy black sweatshirt over black loose trousers and she wasn't her usual smiley flirty self with the punters either. 'She's not going to be getting many tips tonight is she?' Jake asked following Joey's gaze.

'I don't know, there are some regulars in tonight so she might do okay' Joey told him. 'So what have you been up to?' he asked trying to change the subject.

'I saw the flowers you brought for her' Jake said.

'It was the least I could do, she's helped me out of a tight spot with Alice, got me out of party planning' Joey replied, wondering if this was the reason Jake had come into the club.

'A simple thank you would've been enough' Jake told him letting him know he was upset with Joey for buying his wife flowers. 'You don't want her getting any ideas about you, do you?'

'Any ideas? What do you mean?' Joey frowned, playing dumb.

'You buy a girl like her flowers and she thinks there's something more there than there is behind the gesture' Jake said to him 'I caught her staring at them and smiling throughout dinner' he explained to Joey.

'I didn't think' Joey said playing along with him. 'It was just a thank you nothing more' he told Jake.

'I believe you mate, but she might not' Jake glanced at Lauren 'even though we both know there's no chance in Hell you'd dip your cock into that ugly piece of shit' he told him. Joey pushed his hands into his pockets, clenching them into fists as he heard Jake being so derogatory about Lauren. 'Some of us, however, can't afford to be so fussy. Sometimes you have to lower your standards' Joey blinked wondering what Jake was getting at. Seeing the confusion on Joey's face, Jake elaborated. 'Mel's called a sex ban on me seeing as the baby's due any day now and she's not feeling up to it. Luckily, Lauren was on hand to help relieve the tension, if you know what I mean. Although she's not really stimulating at the best of the times. But needs must and all that'

Joey felt his heart fall as he understood what Jake was telling him, he'd had sex with Lauren. He knew he needed to keep his emotions in check but he couldn't deny how much it hurt to know she'd slept with Jake. He forced a smile on his face 'Well, you know that girl Lucy, the one I told you about?' he asked him.

'The skinny blonde?' Jake asked him 'yeah what about her?'

'Well, I'm pretty sure if you wanted a go to girl she'd be happy to accommodate your every need' he said 'save you from having to slum it' he glanced at Lauren again with a look of disdain on his face. 'I can have a word with her if you'd like?'

'Yeah?' Jake raised his eyebrows 'that'd be great'

Joey nodded his head 'No time like the present' he said as he saw Lucy come down the stairs. He turned away from Jake and got a drink for Lucy and carried to the end of the bar as he waited for her. Joey smiled at her as she walked over towards him. 'All right gorgeous?' he flashed his smile at her.

'Yes thanks, you' Lucy beamed at him.

'I'm just about to take a break, fancy a chat?' he asked her.

'Sure' she nodded her head.

'I'm taking a break' Joey called down the bar to Ricky and Lauren. Lauren glanced up and saw him walking towards a dark secluded corner, with one arm around Lucy. She tore her gaze away and got back to serving. Joey sat down and he let his gaze run over Lucy. 'Listen, Lucy, I need you to do a favour for me' Joey told her, cutting to the chase.

'Oh?' Lucy raised her eyebrows at him 'And what would this favour be?'

'One I'd be very very grateful to you for and I'd make it worth your while' he told her leaning towards her slightly.

'You would?' she asked with a smile, her heart racing in her chest as she considered the prospect of Joey's favour. Maybe he needed a date for a family event or something. .

'Mmhmm' he nodded 'so what do you say? Will you help me out?' he asked her.

'Okay, I'm in. You know I'd do anything for you, Joey' Lucy said sliding closer to him.

'Great' Joey grinned at her. 'I knew I could count on you to come through. Jake's going to be thrilled'

'Jake?' Lucy frowned in confusion.

'Yeah. He's after a go to girl. I told him you're pretty great in the sack and you'll be just what he needs'

'You want…you want me to sleep with Jake?' she asked him, her eyes widening as she realised what she'd agreed to.

'So, shall I introduce the two of you?' Joey said standing up and taking Lucy's hand in his, leading her over to Jake before she had a chance to object. 'Lucy meet Jake Stone, Jake this is Lucy Beale' Joey grinned at them both 'I'm sure the two of you are going to get on just fine scratching each other's backs' he winked at Jake. 'I'll leave you two to get better acquainted' he smiled. He looked down the bar and saw Ricky on his own and he walked over to him.

'Where's Lauren?'

'Basement, we're short of mixers and a few other things' he told him.

'You okay here on your own for a bit? I'll go and give her a hand'

'Sure no problems. It's all under control' Ricky grinned at him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey took a deep breath as he pushed the door open to the basement, all the hurt and anger he felt towards Lauren for sleeping with Jake rushing to the front of his mind.

'You slept with him?' Joey said angrily as he closed the door behind him. Lauren jumped and turned to look at him. 'How could you do ….?' He trailed off as he saw her face crumble and she dissolved into tears.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** Poor Lauren having to come to work only to discover Jake is there too and he's talking to Joey! What a horrible nasty man Jake is, talking about Lauren like that. Joey did well not to beat the living day lights out of him and then some! And when Lauren and Joey finally get some time alone he yells at her for sleeping with Jake!1 I wonder what's going to happen next? Leave me a review Back tomorrow xx**


	75. Chapter 75

**Chapter Seventy Four**

Lauren buried her face in her hands as she cried. Joey was by her side in an instant, taking her into his arms. She sobbed brokenly into his chest and Joey felt incredibly guilty he'd even considered, albeit for a second, that she would have willingly slept with Jake. His heart was breaking as he realised the other possibility. He rocked her gently before sweeping her into his arms and carrying her to the corner of the room. He sat down on a stack of crates and moved her onto his lap. 'Ssh, kitten, it's okay, I've got you' he murmured into her hair. 'Ssh, it's okay' he closed his eyes, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

She calmed after a few more minutes and he heard a whispered 'I'm sorry' which broke his heart even more.

'Hey, now. You don't need to say you're sorry, baby' he whispered.

'He…he threw away your flowers' she whispered, 'he broke the stems and tossed them into the bin. I think he was suspicious about why you got them for me'

'I know. He mentioned it' Joey nodded his head 'he told me you could think they meant more than a thank you and that I should be careful' he said to her softly.

Lauren sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. 'I guess him being nice to me will stop now' she said quietly.

'I'm sorry' Joey told her.

'It's not your fault' she shook her head, 'that's just how he is. I borrowed money from him at lunch time, usually he tells me I have to pay it back or work for free in the restaurant to clear the debt, but I guess I paid it back another way'

'What happened?' he asked her, not entirely sure he actually wanted to know the details.

'I didn't hear him come into the room. I was washing up after dinner and he just came up behind me and reached under my skirt and pulled down my knickers' she whispered and burst into a fresh bout of tears, 'he…he hurt me…he was rough and it was so painful…but I didn't let him know how much he hurt me' she shook her head 'it felt like it lasted forever, but I know it didn't. He dug one hand into my hip and the other one…he grabbed me… between my legs and he squeezed really hard…I wanted to scream out with the pain, but I didn't, he just would have hurt me more…'Joey closed his eyes as he listened to her recount what had happened. 'He didn't…he didn't use anything…' she frowned.

'It's okay we can get you the morning after pill' Joey told her.

'What if he's given me another STD?' she asked him, looking up at him with tear filled eyes.

'Then we'll go to a clinic and you get tested' he said softly, brushing her tears away with his thumb.

She nodded her head, sniffing again. 'He's never done that before' she whispered.

'Raped you?' Joey asked feeling his anger rising again. She visibly flinched at his words.

'He says there's no such thing when you're married. It's a wife's duty to fulfill all her husband's needs whether she wants to or not' Lauren replied quietly 'but that's not what I meant' she whispered 'he's never….from behind before….' she blushed as she said it.

Joey licked his lips 'I feel responsible somehow. If I hadn't brought you those flowers' he said with a frown.

'It would've happened sooner or later. It's been nearly 10 months since last time' she admitted to him. A thought suddenly occurred to her 'this doesn't change anything between us does it?' she asked him worriedly.

'Of course not' Joey said shaking his head. 'Don't be silly' he told her 'just means I'll have to revise your lesson plans a little'

'What?' Lauren looked at him confused before her gaze fell to her hands in her lap.

'Never mind' Joey said softly. 'Look at me' he said to her, she raised her tear stained face to his 'We've been gone for a while, are you okay to go back upstairs?' he asked her.

Lauren sniffed and nodded her head and wiped her face with the heel of her hands, Joey smiled and he reached out to brush away the smears of mascara and eye liner with a smile. 'There. Better' he said softly. She took a deep breath and got up off his lap gingerly, 'are you in pain?' he asked her with a frown. Lauren nodded her head, her face turning bright red 'are you bleeding?'

'I don't think so' she said shaking her head.

'Do me a favour? When we go back upstairs go check for me?' he asked her, cupping her cheek in his hand as his thumb brushed over her lips.

'O…okay' she whispered.

'We'd better take the drinks up' Joey told her. Lauren nodded her head sadly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey was relieved to find Lucy and Jake gone when they returned to the bar. Lauren put the drinks she brought up from the basement on the bar and headed off to the toilet under Joey's watchful gaze. She was only gone for a few minutes, five at most, but for Joey it felt like an hour. She returned and shook her head, relief flowed through him.

The rest of the shift flew by and Joey and Lauren left early, leaving Ricky with the cleaning up. Joey let her into his flat and took her into his arms, resting his head on top of hers. 'I don't want you going back there tonight' Joey told her honestly.

'I have to' she whispered.

'I know' he replied. 'Promise me if he tries anything that you'll kick him where it hurts and call me'

'I promise' she nodded her head.

'And you really need to think seriously about getting away from him for good' he told her.

'It's almost all I think about' she admitted to him. She raised her head to look up at Joey, the only thing she would risk staying for. 'When I'm not thinking about you' she chewed her bottom lip anxiously, this was as close as she would ever get to telling him she was falling in love with him. She wished he felt the same way, his next words deflated her.

'Don't let me be the reason you don't go' he told her. 'You need to be thinking about you, your safety and happiness' Lauren nodded, laying her head back against his chest and closing her eyes. She would pretend he loved her, for now that was enough.

**AN: Thanks for your review **** Well I don't know how I feel about the end of this chapter in much the same way Lauren doesn't know how to take Joey's word to her. What do you think? Leave me a review back tomorrow x **


	76. Chapter 76

**Chapter Seventy-Five**

Lauren had taken the morning after pill and also been tested for STD's. Although she was embarrassed when she went to the clinic, she was grateful that Joey went with her to give her moral support. A few days later her test results came back clear and Lauren could breathe easy again. Things between her and Joey were going from strength to strength. And things between her and Jake had gone back to normal, he hadn't laid a finger on her since, for which she was even more grateful for.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Derek's surprise party turned out to be a complete triumph and he was thrilled with his party at the Vic as well as all the presents he got. Especially the book Lauren had helped Alice and Joey find for him.

Now it was Lauren's birthday, and although Joey had already taken her out to dinner (with Alice and Derek) as well as to the Kings Of Leon concert, he was also taking her a way for a day and they would be spending the night in a hotel. Luckily for Lauren, Jake had gone away again, back to Bexley, telling her his father's health was in decline and he needed to be there to support his mother.

Lauren had packed an overnight bag and was meeting Joey at the tube station. Jake had agreed she could go and see her mother while he was away. So she had her excuse. Joey was secretly thrilled he was getting to spend Lauren's birthday with her and he was going to make sure she had the best birthday ever.

A few tube changes and an over ground train journey and taxi ride later and they were at their destination. Lauren looked up at the grand hotel that towered above them. 'We're staying here?' she asked him eyes wide as she read the name of the hotel.

'Mmhmm' he nodded his head.

'The Waldorf Hilton? Joey! It's too expensive' she shook her head.

'Hey! I'm treating you. It's your birthday remember? And that means I get to spoil you all I want and you have to let me' he said softly. 'I want you to have a birthday you will never forget'

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey took her on a visit to Buckingham Palace and she was in awe at all the paintings and ornate decorations she saw. She wouldn't let him buy any souvenirs though, they were far too expensive and she would have to explain them away to Jake. They went for a walk in Hyde Park and Joey stole a rose from one of the bushes growing there. They held hands as they walked around and to anyone who noticed they looked like any other young couple in love.

After they'd eaten a wonderfully delicious meal in the hotel's restaurant, Joey pulled a long thin box out of his pocket and placed it on the table, sliding it over to her with his finger-tips. 'Happy birthday, kitten' he said with a smile.

'What's this?' Lauren frowned at him.

'Open it and see' he said waiting expectantly. Lauren picked up the box and slowly opened the hinged lid. Inside, nestled in white satin was a thin silver chain with a silver key shaped pendant. With shaking hands she picked it out of the box and felt some strange bumps on the back, she turned it over and frowned, looking up at Joey. 'Those little bumpy things were already there when I brought it' he lied to her 'do you like it?' he said hoping she did.

'Yes of course I do. I love it, it's beautiful. Thank you' she said smiling at him.

'Yeah?' he looked relieved. 'I'm glad' he smiled at her broadly.

The two of them gazed at each other as the waitress came over to take their dessert plates away, 'Would you like coffees or drinks?' she asked, staring mainly at Joey.

'No thank you' Joey shook his head, the waitress left them alone and Joey stood up, taking the necklace from Lauren and fastening it around her neck.

'You know I can't wear this…' she whispered.

'While you're here with me you can' he replied softly. ' I don't know about you but I'm ready to retire to our room for the evening' he told her.

'It's 8:00pm' she blushed

'I know' he smiled at her, taking her hand as she rose from the chair. Lauren smiled as his hand snaked around her waist and he led her up the winding staircase.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey entered their room first, taking a quick look around to make sure everything he'd requested had been done. He smiled and stepped aside to let Lauren in, the drapes at the windows had been shut and the room was lit by soft candle lamps. Her eyes moved to the bed and she saw the four poster bed had been turned down and there were rose petals all over it, a bottle of champagne open and cooling in an ice bucket at the foot of the bed.

'Joey…' she whispered softly 'you've done so much for me already, brought me so many things…' her voice trailed off as her eyes filled with happy tears. 'it's amazing'

'The night's not over yet, kitten' he told her. 'There's another gift for you on the bed' Lauren's eyes were drawn to the large white box on the bed 'well it might be a gift for me too…' he amended. He watched as Lauren walked over to it and lifted the lid, pulling the light tissue paper that was hiding the gift out of her way. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw what was underneath.

'Joey…it's beautiful' she whispered softly, her eyes meeting his.

'Put it on' Joey said biting his bottom lip. Lauren nodded, picking up the box and disappearing into the bathroom. While she was in there, Joey took off his jacket and draped it over the chair, next he took off his shoes and socks, loosened his tie and removed that too, undoing the top two buttons on his shirt. Next he poured them both a glass of champagne and sat down on the bed, leaning against the headboard as he waited for her to return.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren looked at her reflection in the mirror in the bathroom. She had never felt sexier. Whether she looked sexy was another matter entirely. This wasn't the usual attire she would be wearing to bed back home. Not with Jake. But she wasn't with Jake, she was with Joey. Joey who constantly told her she was beautiful and sexy. Taking one last deep breath she licked her lips and reached out for the door handle. She turned off the light before she opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. She heard Joey's sharp intake of breath as he saw her.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** I'm so glad that you are loving The Bad Boy. Lauren is still in Walford and she and Joey are continuing with their affair. Jake is out of town on her birthday so it's given Joey the perfect opportunity to treat Lauren on her birthday. So the necklace is what he brought when they were shopping for Derek's present! I wonder what happens next!? Back tomorrow xx **


	77. Chapter 77

**Chapter Seventy-Six**

'You look…stunning, Lauren' Joey said hoarsely, once he'd got the use of his vocals cords back. He put his glass down on the side and stood up and walked over to her. She looked confident and was emitting sexiness from every single pore in her body. He lowered his gaze to her feet and smiled, seeing her toes were scrunched up into the carpet, the only outward sign she was showing that she wasn't 100% comfortable. He slowly let his gaze climb up her body, taking in her legs, the baby pink pleated see through silk skirt, the tiny triangle fabric of the g-string she wore underneath, the tight fitting corset top that fit her like a glove and accentuated her breasts and had Joey's cock hardening in his trousers. 'Wow' he whispered.

She smiled at him 'do you like?' she asked him.

'Very much' he nodded his head, 'you look incredibly sexy' he told her.

She smiled at him 'I feel pretty sexy' she admitted to him.

'I knew you would look great in that when I brought it for you, but you look better than great…you're gorgeous'

Lauren beamed at him 'do you want to see the back?' she asked, turning a pirouette before he had a chance to answer.

'Wow' he repeated.

Lauren smiled and she stepped forward, running her hands over his shirt and circling them around the back of his neck. 'So…this early night' she whispered softly.

'It seems a shame to take this off' he admitted to her as she guided him towards the bed.

'Well we don't have to take it off the first time' she smiled as Joey sat down on the bed. 'But you…you have to be naked' she told him as she pushed him to lie back on the bed, she climbed onto his lap and bent forward, his eyes fell to her cleavage and his cock jumped again. She teased him with her light chaste kisses and he growled in frustration as she pulled away every time he tried to deepen it. Her fingers moved to the front of his shirt and she slowly began to undo the buttons, watching her progress as she did so. She pulled his shirt out of his trousers and pushed it wide open, gazing down at his chest and running her fingers over his pectoral muscles, she licked her lips and smiled down at Joey. She bent her head again and pressed a kiss to his chest. Joey's hands moved to her hips and he pulled her down against his already painful erection, letting out a groan as he did so. He had a feeling if she kept up with the teasing he was more than likely going to shoot his load in his pants before she even got round to taking them off.

'Baby…please…' Joey whimpered beneath her.

'Patience is a virtue, Joey' she murmured, she wriggled on his groin causing him to moan again, bucking his hips up against her. She leant back, putting her hand on his knees and she arched her back as she ground against him.

'Fuck…Lauren…' he growled, his fingers digging into her hips. He sat up suddenly and then stood up, Lauren's legs locked round his waist. He lowered her to the bed and his mouth closed over hers kissing her hungrily, passionately. He pulled away from her and practically ripped his trousers and boxers from his body. Lauren giggled as his cock sprang free.

'Someone's keen' she said using the words he'd said to her the first time they'd had sex, she rolled onto her hands and knees and knelt up and she slowly removed her g-string. Joey's watched as one of her hands slipped between her legs. 'I'm so wet for you, baby' she whispered as he grappled for a condom. He tore the wrapper open with ease, cursing loudly when he ripped the condom as he tried to roll it onto his erection. 'More haste less speed' Lauren giggled as she teased him. He reached for another packet and this time managed to get it on without tearing it. He sighed and stalked over to Lauren, his eyes dark. She smiled as he reached for her, pulling her towards him and pushing her to lay back down on the bed. They both knew there would be no foreplay…not this time anyway. Joey gazed down and moved over her, once again she wrapped her legs around him and he slowly sank inside her causing them both to groan in pleasure. Joey almost came there and then and he kept still, trying to focus on anything other than the goddess lying beneath him, trying not to think about the way it felt being inside her. He groaned and lay his head on her shoulder, squeezing his eyes tightly shut and holding his breath. A vision of Jake popped into his head and he felt his impending orgasm fading. Turning his head he kissed her throat, pausing to whisper in her ear.

'Hold on tight, kitten' he raised himself up on his hands and he started to move within her. His thrusts were hard and fast and he soon felt himself building up towards climax again, Lauren was trembling beneath him, letting him know she was also close, 'Fuck, Lauren. You feel so good' Joey groaned 'I need to feel you coming around me, baby….please tell me you're close…oh God!'

Moments later Lauren screamed his name as she felt him pulsing inside her, she exploded around him, clutching his shoulders tightly as her body arched off the bed beneath him as she rode out her orgasm.

Joey withdrew his wilting cock and removed the condom, trying the end off and dropping it onto the discarded wrapper. He smiled at Lauren 'ready for round two?' he asked her. She smiled, nodding her head.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** I am so glad that you are enjoying The Bad Boy. Well it looks as though Joey is spoiling Lauren rotten on her birthday and it looks as though she is having a pretty great time and it's still not over… more to come…back tomorrow. **

**On another note, put this date in your diaries. Saturday 13 December. This is the date that I will be posting 74crazychicks and my sequel story to 12 days of Christmas. It's called A Christmas Story and there will be one chapter posted per night and no more. The last of which will be posted on 26****th**** December. It will be posted on my fanfic page and 74crazychick and I hope you like it! In fact you might want to reread 12 Days of Christmas to refresh your memories and for those of you who haven't read it before we are sure you'll love it... So if you haven't read it before we look forward to reading your reviews xx **


	78. Chapter 78

**Chapter Seventy-Seven**

Lauren was the first to wake up the next morning. She got up and used the bathroom and crept back into the bedroom, stepping over the pink negligee. She crawled under the covers and rolled on to her back, smiling as she remembered the rest of last night's events.

_It hadn't taken too long for Joey's interest in her to be aroused again, nor hers in him if she was being honest. She could have sex with Joey for 48 hours straight and she would still crave more. She was fairly certain she could be brazen and say Joey would feel the same way too. _

_The second time was still hurried, as though they'd barely scratched the surface of their need and desire for one another. This time, Lauren had taken the lead once again and Joey had let her. She ended up straddling him with her back facing him, she dimly recalled he'd told her this was called the rider position. She started off slowly, Joey's hands on her hips as he guided her so she impaled herself on his cock. Lauren groaned, feeling every single inch of Joey inside her in a way she'd never felt him before. It was so different to the last time she'd had sex with Jake. Joey watched as his glistening cock appeared and disappeared with her movements. More than anything he wanted to touch her, but he knew he couldn't without causing himself injury, so for now he would have to be content in just watching and feeling. He gasped when Lauren suddenly changed the way she was moving, now she moving around him in a circular motion as well, she gave a low groan as she discovered this motion meant his cock brushed against her g-spot. _

_In a move that both surprised and pleased Joey, showing him how much more confident she was with sex and both his and her body, Lauren reached between his legs and fondled his testicles. The touch was like a jolt of electricity straight to his groin and he hardened even more inside her. She gave another long low moan and her other hand moved to her clit and she started to rub it firmly and slowly, closing her eyes she tilted her head back a little, her long dark hair flowing down her back._

'_Jesus, Lauren!' Joey groaned screwing his eyes tightly shut as he felt her tightening around him as she came hard. She was gasping, moaning his name over and over again. Joey pulled her down harder as he pulsed inside her, 'FUCK!' he shouted 'LAUREN, BABY….' Joey could feel himself pulsing over and over again in one of the most intense orgasms of his life. Lauren continued to ride him, milking every single drop of pleasure she could from him. _

Joey groaned beside her, and she turned her head to look at him 'Mmm….Lauren' he murmured in his sleep, reaching for her and snuggling up against her, his head resting on her breast. He stilled again and she knew he was still asleep.

_The third time was even better than the first two times, it was also different. Both Lauren and Joey had collapsed on the bed after their second sex session and were both trying to get their breathing back under control. _

'_Wow, babe. __** That**__ was mind blowing' Joey said looking at her, she smiled and nodded her head in agreement. _

'_Yeah it was' she replied with a shy smile. 'The whole day has been' she admitted to him. _

'_Well, it's not over yet' he promised her with a seductive smile. He reached out and brushed her damp hair away from her face, tucking it gently behind her ear. _

_They talked quietly together, stealing kisses, exchanging gentle caresses, which gradually fanned the embers of desire between them. Lauren felt him hardening once again against her thigh. The kisses got more heated and their need for each other grew. As beautiful as she looked in the negligee Joey wanted her naked, he wanted to feel her naked body pressed against his. He kissed her lips softly, tracing the seam of her lips with his tongue. Her lips parted for him and his slid his tongue inside, she mewled into his mouth as she felt his hand close over her left breast. He kneaded her breast gently, his thumb brushed over her nipple. He rolled them suddenly so they were facing each other, Lauren looped her leg over his when his hand moved to her back and as Joey's lips moved to her throat. She could feel him pulling the skin between his lips, sucking gently, biting down with his teeth. His expert fingers had released the clasps on the back of the negligee she was wearing. He peeled it off her shoulder and he trailed his lips lower, over her shoulder, kissing the fullness of her breast, before his tongue circled her nipple. His mouth closed over her nipple and he sucked hard, she mewled again and arched into him, his length brushed between her legs, brushing over her sex. He could feel her juices coating his cock and wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside her, without any protection. In that moment he wanted to know what it felt to make love to her without a barrier of any kind between them. He rolled her again so she was underneath him, his mouth moving to her neglected breast. He paid the same attention to it as he had the other and she arched up against him again, moving her legs either side of his hips. He flexed his hips and felt her heat and warmth, it would be so easy for Joey to enter her in one thrust. He wondered if she would be mad at him if he pretended to forget to use a condom. He knew there would be a possibility she could get pregnant, that he could get her pregnant. A strange feeling started in the pit of his stomach as he thought about it. He ground against her again and pushed forward slightly, the tip of his cock entering her as his needs took over. A vision of Jake popped into his mind, and fear for what he would do to Lauren if the outcome of tonight meant she was pregnant caused him to have second thoughts. _

_Joey rolled away from her, pulling the negligee off her completely and tossing it over the edge of the bed, he sheathed his length in the third condom of the night before moving over her again. Instead of entering her in one swift movement, he entered her slowly, just pushing the head of his cock inside her and then pulling back and penetrating her again, pushing a little bit more of his length inside her each time. 'Joey….' she whimpered digging her nails into the small of his back gently, wanting to feel all of him buried inside her. _

'_Patience is a virtue baby' he repeated her earlier words to him back to her, she narrowed her eyes at him as he withdrew to the tip again and started from the beginning. The second time she begged for him, he shook his head with a mischievous smile and started the teasing all over again. She felt as though her body was on the edge of an abyss and something was holding her back from soaring off the edge. That something being Joey. _

'_Ah! Please…please Joey…I need you…please…' she begged him again. Taking pity in combination with the pure need in her voice, the next time he pressed forward he sank all the way inside her, all her nerve endings fired off at the same time and she came as soon as the head of his cock hit her cervix. She clung to him tightly, her mouth opened in a silent scream, arching her back off the bed and she leapt off the abyss and soared high in the sky. _

_Joey moved his lips to her ear, kissing the hollow beneath it, Lauren gasped in air. Joey felt her kissing his shoulder and he pulled back to gaze down at her face, 'ready?' he asked her softly. She nodded her head. Joey held his gaze as he withdrew to the tip and pushed back inside her, keeping his rhythm slow. _

_He built her up again and pushed her until she was screaming his name, writhing on the bed beneath him. Her hands that had been on his shoulders, slid down his arms to his wrists. He lifted one hand at a time and linked their fingers together and began to move faster and harder within her. _

_Moments later they both reached their climaxes. Joey thought he was going to black out for a moment as black spots appeared in his vision. He kissed her neck gently, tenderly, trailing his lips to hers, for a soft loving kiss. He withdrew himself from her, disposed of the condom and gathered her in his arms. Her eyes were already drooping and he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. _

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey opened his eyes and shifted on Lauren, smiling as her breast appeared in his line of sight.

'Best view to wake up to ever!' he said, causing Lauren to giggle, which meant her breast jiggled before his eyes 'Oh and it dances….' he said, raising his head and pressing a soft kiss to her nipple, before he pushed himself up so he was looking down at her 'Morning beautiful' he whispered, bending his head to kiss her.

'How long can we stay here for?' she asked him.

'Check out is at 11:00am' he told her softly as his lips began to travel along her throat.

'Thank you' she said softly.

Joey moved so he was looking down at her 'Are you thanking me for sex again?' his eyes sparkled as he teased her.

'No' she said shaking her head with a giggle, 'For yesterday, last night…I can't remember the last time I celebrated my birthday, you made it a really a special and memorable day and night' she added 'I'm glad you wanted to spend the day with me' she told him softly. Joey looked at her.

'There's nowhere else I'd rather be, kitten' Joey told her honestly 'thank you for letting me spoil you' he smiled at her 'for letting me spend your birthday with you' he whispered as he kissed her again.

His groin reacted to the woman beneath him, and as he reached for a condom he knew they were going to be late checking out.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews **** Well it looks as though Joey and Lauren thoroughly enjoyed themselves on Lauren's birthday and it also looks like they're going to be late checking out of the hotel! That's a night neither of them are going to forget for a long long time to come! Let me know what you think of this chapter…. Back tomorrow. **


	79. Chapter 79

**Chapter Seventy-Eight**

Joey and Lauren returned to Walford and after Joey watched Lauren walk back to her house, he entered his flat and went into the bedroom to unpack his bag. He put his dirty clothes in the washing basket and his fingers closed around the negligee she'd worn last night, he smiled and held it up to his nose, inhaling her scent. He smiled and dropped it into his washing basket too. He walked back into the bedroom once he'd finished unpacking. He stripped off his clothes and climbed naked into the bed, closing his eyes as he thought about Lauren. He remembered how surprised and pleased she'd been with the hotel, the day he'd planned for her, for them. How much she told him she loved the necklace he'd brought for her. He felt a twinge of guilt as he recalled the little white lie he'd told her about the strange engraving on the back of the pendant. He knew what it was and he knew what he meant. It wasn't already there when he brought the necklace. He was the one who'd had it engraved there. One day he would tell her the truth…when she was ready to hear it.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren smiled to herself as she packed away her things. She knelt down on the floor, and pulled back the rug, her fingers prised the floorboard up and she reached underneath and pulled out the shoebox. She lifted the lid and unfastened the necklace from round her neck and put it back inside the long thin box. She stared at it for a few moments and then closed the lid. She put the box carefully in the shoebox before she hid it back under the floorboards. She'd had a wonderful day with Joey yesterday. She'd been spoilt and treated like a princess all day and worshipped like a goddess all night long. This was the best birthday she could ever remember having. All thanks to Joey.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

As Joey lay in the bed another idea came into his head to show Lauren how important she was to him, without actually having to vocalise it. He knew she would love it. It would take a lot of planning on his part but he knew seeing the look on her face would be worth it. His eyes drifted shut as he yawned and soon after he fell asleep.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

A month passed and Lauren was day dreaming in the club during a lull in serving customers. Joey was standing at the other end of the bar just watching her, he watched as she licked her lips and pulled her bottom lip between her lips. He wondered what she was thinking about, her hand moved to her chest and she sighed deeply. She frowned as she felt someone looking at her. Joey saw her stiffen and straighten up as she scanned the crowd in the night club. Eventually her eyes settled on Joey and he grinned and winked at her. She walked over to him slowly and leant on the bar next to him, facing out to the swarm of clubbers.

'Why are you staring at me?' she asked him.

'Because I was picturing you naked in my bed' he replied. He moved slightly so he was standing behind her. To the rest of the club goers it looked as though the two of them were standing a foot apart, but in truth he was pressing against her, letting her feel his erection against her bottom.

'Joey!' she admonished as his hand snaked around her waist and slid lower to delve between her legs, he smiled noting her voice was telling him no, but her hands remained firmly pressed on the top of the bar. She wasn't trying to stop him.

'You're coming back to mine tonight' he told her as he pressed his fingers against her.

'We'll see' she reached down and caught his hand, moving it away from her. He smiled and rested his hands either side of hers on the bar, trapping her in place. She smiled, one hand moving behind her back and brushing her fingertips over his erection. He moaned into her ear as Lauren saw a woman heading to the bar. She gave him a firm squeeze and then ducked under his arm to serve her.

'You are such a little tease' Joey whispered after her. She turned and winked at him over her shoulder.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren and Joey continued to flirt and tease each other every moment they got, Lauren inadvertently dragging her hand over his groin when she had to "squeeze" past him in the bar. Joey accidentally brushing her crotch, bottom or breasts with his hands as he moved past her. He knew despite what she'd said earlier she would be coming back to his flat tonight, she was too riled up not to...after a little help from him.

They closed the club after cleaning up, which took a little longer than normal due to them being unable to stop kissing and caressing each other. When they eventually made it back to his flat, they were a tangle of limbs as they slowly made their way to the bedroom. Joey stripped her down to her underwear and smiled at her before he turned her round so her back was facing him kissing her neck and shoulder. His fingers undid her bra and drew it off slowly, his hands moving to cup her breasts. He rolled her nipples between his fingers and soon she was moaning, pressing her bottom against his groin, rubbing her thighs together. One of his hands moved lower and he pushed her knickers down. She stepped out of them and he started to move her towards the bed, she started to turn in his arms, but his arm snaked around her waist holding her in place. 'I want you from behind tonight' he whispered in her ear. He felt her tense up in his arms.

'No, Joey…' she shook her head remembering how it had felt when Jake did that to her. She was pretty certain she never ever wanted to do that with Joey…with anyone.

'Trust me' he kissed her throat 'It will feel nothing like it did with him' he murmured cupping one of her breasts again, his other hand sliding down to delve between her thighs 'for one thing, you're going to be with me, secondly, you're going to be good and ready for me' he told her 'and thirdly..'

'Is this a long list?' she interrupted him with a small smile.

'It might be if you insist on interrupting me' he replied with a smirk, pushing a finger inside her. She gasped softly. 'May I continue?' he murmured against her neck.

'Please…' she whispered.

Joey smiled. 'Thirdly, you are going to be feeling some of the most intense feelings you've ever felt ever and fourthly, after we've done this once, you're going to be begging me to do it again. In fact it may even be your new favourite position' he told her, licking her neck and then biting down bluntly with his teeth.

Joey maneuvered them so they were both on the bed, Lauren in front of him, they were both kneeling on the bed and Joey slowly pushed her forward so she was on her hands and knees. He saw the tension in her body as she knelt before him. Remembering how she'd tensed up earlier in the start of the sexual relationship, Joey tried to relax her again. He kissed a path down her back, play growling as he bit down lightly on her the flesh of her buttock, she giggled and squirmed, her body gradually becoming more pliant. He reached for a condom and sat back as he rolled it onto his cock, pumping his hand up and down a few times when it was in place. He positioned himself at her entrance, sliding one hand between her legs and starting to rub her clit gently. She tensed up again and she pulled away from him fractionally when she felt him pressed against her. 'Baby, relax' Joey kissed her neck and shoulders 'I promise I'm not going to hurt you, you trust me don't you?'

'Yes' she nodded her head but he could hear the hesitation in her voice.

'You enjoyed what we did at the hotel didn't you when you were facing away from me?'

'Yes, I did, but that was different' she told him.

'Why? Because you were in control?' he asked her.

'Yes' she nodded her head again.

Joey sucked on her neck again, all the while rubbing on her clit 'you're still in control baby' Joey told her softly 'at any time if you want to stop just tell me and I will' he told her 'all I want to do is give you as much pleasure as I can…I promise you, you'll like sex with me this way' he murmured against her neck. He positioned himself at her entrance again and this time. She pushed back against him as she felt him pressing against her. He took his time, entering her slowly, she felt him stretching her and filling her and she groaned. Joey smiled, she was enjoying this as he'd promised she would. He started to rub her clit faster and harder as he increased his thrusts.

'Oh god! Joey…Joey…Joey…..Joey" she groaned loudly.

'That's it baby, let it go, let me make you come, let me feel you coming around me' he groaned. She clamped down around his cock as her orgasm hit slammed into her 'So good babe, you feel so good' he gasped.

'JOOOOOOEEEEEEYYYYYY!' Lauren screamed at the top of her voice as her orgasm hit her. 'OH MY GOD!'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Later the two of them were laying in his bed, gazing at each other 'so…you really hated that and we are never ever doing that again right?' he said to her seriously.

'Are you kidding me?' Lauren exclaimed 'we are SO going to be doing that again' she nodded her head.

Joey smiled 'You know there's an "I told you so" on the tip of my tongue….' He whispered as she moved forward to kiss him, silencing him from teasing her any further.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** Well it looks as though Joey is still showing the pleasures of the flesh! And she seems to be enjoying his lessons! The next chapter will be up tomorrow Leave me a review **


	80. Chapter 80

**Chapter Seventy-Nine**

Joey smiled at the woman laying beneath him, her breathing shallow, fast. She'd been gone for three weeks, a surprise anniversary present from Jake. A trip to Hawaii, which Joey didn't know how he paid for because he was always telling Joey he had cash flow problems. Of course Joey didn't share this train of thought with Lauren. Within an hour of being back, Lauren had texted Joey and told him to meet her at his flat. Which is where they'd been for the last hour and a half and he'd already made her come three times. Luckily Jake wanted to go and check on his restaurant so Lauren knew she had some time on her hands and as far as she was concerned there was no better way to spend it than in bed with Joey.

'So did you have a nice time?' he asked her as he played with her hair.

'It was so beautiful and hot' she said to him 'I spent a lot of time on the beach' she told him.

'So I see' he said, his fingers trailing up her tanned leg 'and your bikini seems to have been very tiny' he said tracing the thin strip of white skin at her hip.

She smiled 'it might have been' she nodded her head. 'You would've loved it there, the sand was almost white and the sea was crystal clear and such a beautiful shade of blue and it was so cool when I went swimming' she told him. 'It was so hot too, it was amazing' smiled as she looked up at him. 'I wish you were there with me, they had hammocks hanging between palm trees and I would lay there and draw or read.'

'Was Jake around much?' he asked her.

'A little, mostly I spent the days by myself' she said to him 'he had some friends that were out there too so he mainly hung out with them' she replied. 'Which meant I had time to shop and I brought gifts back' she told him.

'You did?' he asked her.

'Mmhmm, I have things for Alice and my mum and Derek and Jack and Sharon, Max and Ricky'

'Wow that's a lot of gifts' he said to her. She smiled and pulled away from him, getting out of the bed and walking across the room, completely naked. He couldn't help but smile at her white bottom. She pulled out a box from her bag and walked back to the bed, kneeling on it, 'and I got this for you' she told him softly holding out a small gift bag to him.

'You didn't have to get me anything' he told her sitting up and smiling at her.

'Open it' Lauren chewed on her bottom lip nervously, watching as Joey pulled a gift wrapped box out of the bag and ripped the paper off. He opened the box and inside he found a leather strap with blue Hawaiian iridescent blue stones nestled on the outside edge of the strap. He stared at it for a few moments in silence and she was suddenly anxious that he hated it.

'Lauren!' Joey exclaimed, 'this is great, I love it' he said looking up at her with a smile. He reached forward, cupping the back of her head and pulling her towards him for a kiss. 'Thank you' he murmured against her lips.

'I'm glad you liked it' she said softly, letting Joey pull her back down onto the bed. 'The blue stones are the same colour as the sea there and every time I looked at the sea I felt free….and that's how I feel when I'm with you, so I just knew I had to get it for you…do you really like it?' she asked him.

Joey gazed down at her 'yes, I love it Lauren, I really do. Thank you' he murmured softly.

'I missed you' she told him.

'I missed you too' he replied.

Lauren looked up at him, tracing his cheek with her fingers, running them lightly over his lips. 'I…I missed you a lot' she whispered, too afraid to say the words she really wanted to say.

'Me too' Joey nodded his head, his eyes burning into hers. She wondered if he knew what she wanted to say, if he wanted to say it too. 'So what else did you do?' Joey asked her, breaking the moment.

'Besides from sunbathe, swim, sightsee and shop?' Lauren asked him.

'Did you and Jake do anything?' he asked her casually.

'We went out for dinner a few times' she said softly 'went out to see the nightlife a few times, mainly he was out with his friends and I was left to my own devices' she told him.

'So he was never in the hotel with you?' he asked her.

'Joey, just ask me what you want to know' she said softly, knowing what he wanted to say but making him ask.

Joey hesitated, licking his lips, not sure he wanted to know the answer to the question he knew he was about to ask. 'Did you sleep with him?'

'I sleep with him every night, Joey' she said quietly.

'You know what I'm asking you' he said a little shortly.

Lauren sighed 'he's my husband' she replied quietly. Joey pulled away from her and sat up.

'How many times?' he asked her his voice filled with hurt, 'you know what, I don't want to know' he said, getting up and grabbing his jeans from the floor and pulling them on as he walked out of the room.

Lauren swallowed and got out of bed, picking up his discarded shirt, slipping it over her naked body and doing up a couple of the buttons. She found him in the kitchen, leaning on the unit, his back to the door.

She walked over to him and kissed his back softly. Sliding her arms around his chest. 'It was one time, Joey. On our anniversary…and I…and I hated every single second of it' she whispered softly. 'I pretended I was on the beach...that I was anywhere but there with him. I'm sorry…I should have told you before we…' she trailed off, pulling away from him.

Joey closed his eyes and he sighed. 'You're right. He is your husband. I just…I'm just jealous' he told her.

'There's nothing for you to be jealous of, Joey, you know I don't love him. I don't want him. I want you' she told him softly, Joey turned round to look at her, taking her hand in his.

'I want you too' he replied softly 'I just hate thinking of you with him like that'

'Then don't think about it' Lauren whispered, she took a deep breath 'If you want me to go…'

Joey shook his head 'no' he led her back through to bedroom 'I don't want you to leave' he said softly pulling her into a kiss.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** You all seem to be enjoying TBB! Jealous Joey has reared his head once again after learning Lauren slept with Jake. Anyone else screaming at their computer screens telling them to just say I LOVE YOU!? Leave me a review… If I get 20 reviews by 8:30pm I'll post another chapter…..It's a good one! **


	81. Chapter 81

**Chapter Eighty**

Over the next few weeks, Lauren and Joey continued to sneak around and everything seemed to be going well between them. Jake had been spending pretty much all his time split between Walford and Bexley which suited Lauren just fine. She'd spent many nights staying over at Joey's after work instead of going home.

She let herself into her house one morning with a smile and went into the kitchen. 'Where the fuck have you been?' Jake snarled at her from the kitchen table.

The smile faded from her face 'Jake…I thought you weren't due home until tomorrow night' she said.

'I asked you a question' he clenched his fists and banged them on the table. Lauren swallowed 'I went out for breakfast with Alice' Lauren said to him. She turned and headed out of the kitchen and towards the front door. Jake was up and out of his chair before she even reached the front door.

'You're lying' Jake's hand caught hold of her hair, pulling her back against him. She yelped in pain and her handbag fell to the floor. 'I've been home since last night and you didn't come home' he hissed in her ear.

'Jake…you're hurting me' she whimpered, her hands moving behind her to try to free her hair from his fist. Her face hit the door hard enough to make her see stars as he slammed her against it.

'I'm only going to ask you this one more time and then I'm going to get really pissed off with you. Where. The. Fuck. Have. You. Been?' he bit out each word slowly. She hesitated with her answer and her face hit the door again, she had the coppery taste of blood in her mouth now and she tried not to gag on it.

'Joey's…Joey's…I was at Joey's...' she sobbed through her tears.

'Joey?' Jake frowned 'You spent the night at Joey's?'

'Yes. We were still buzzing from working in the club and we went back to his for a coffee'

'We?' Jake yanked on her hair, the tears were falling freely down her face.

'Me and Joey' Lauren said. 'I fell asleep on the sofa…if you don't believe me ask him'

'Oh I intend to' Jake said, pulling her backwards and shoving her up against the wall. He pressed his forearm against her throat, leaving her gasping for air. 'And if I find out you've lied to me, believe me you're going to be more than sorry' he pressed a little harder against her throat and she started to choke and her vision starting to cloud over as her eyes filled with tears and the lack of oxygen hit her. As her eyes fluttered shut he released his hold on her, throwing her against the stairs. Her head hit the wooden lip… hard. The last thing she heard was the front door slamming shut as Jake left. She knew she needed to warn Joey but she couldn't move…her face and head were pounding, the sound of blood was rushing through her ears. Her whole body aching. Her last thought was of Joey as she lost consciousness.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey had just finished tidying up the flat when he heard the door buzzer, followed by a pounding on the door. He walked to the window and peered out, seeing a very angry looking Jake outside.

He checked the flat to make sure there was nothing of Lauren's she'd left behind, before he walked to the door and pressed the door release button. He opened the door to the flat and hurried into the bedroom, grabbing a couple of pillows and he tossed them down on the sofa as he returned to the lounge. Next he pulled the blanket off the back and pretended to be folding it up. Joey turned round as he heard the door creak when it was pushed open. 'Hey, you're back early' he smiled as he saw Jake, 'good trip?' he asked him, turning back to the task at hand. He walked round to the back of the sofa and draped the folded blanket over the back again. Jake's eyes fell to the pillows as he came further into the room. He looked up at Joey.

'What the fuck do you think you're doing letting Lauren sleep here last night?' Jake frowned at him angrily. 'I know I asked you to watch her but this is pushing the boundaries a little don't you think?'

Joey blinked at him 'we were rushed off our feet at the club last night, there was a bit of trouble with a couple of the punters and we had to call the police and the paramedics…we were pretty wired after we closed so I brought Lauren back here for a coffee. I didn't see what happened but Lauren did so she was telling me about it. She told me she also had a run in with Lucy at the club, she looked pretty pissed off when Lucy walked away from the bar with a smug grin on her face' Joey explained.

Jake's face paled 'what did she say?' he asked her 'did she tell you what Lucy had told her?'

Joey shook his head 'I tried to get her to tell me what it was about but she was a little reluctant to. I went to get some more coffees and was going to see if I could get her to open up to me but when I came back she'd fallen asleep' Joey told him as he picked up the pillows. I didn't have the heart to wake her…' Joey told him 'I figured it would be okay' he said with a casual shrug. 'Look, she slept on the sofa…'

'She slept on the sofa?' Jake repeated, his eyes falling to the sofa again.

'Yeah of course she did' Joey said with a small laugh 'where else would she sleep?' Joey blinked at him. 'With me? Come on you know me better than that' he laughed as if the idea of finding Lauren sexually attractive was an amusing idea. 'Me and Lauren?' he shook his head.

Jake eyed him suspiciously 'I don't like it' he shook his head 'this doesn't happen again. You need to keep your mind focused on the task in hand and not develop a friendship with her' he told him firmly. 'You are her boss and from now on that's how things need to stay'

Joey sighed and he nodded his head 'Okay, fine. Point taken' he said to him, 'so do you want a beer you can tell me all about your trip?'

Jake shook his head as his anger dissipated 'It's a bit early for me' Jake told him, which Joey knew was a blatant lie 'how about I meet you in the Vic at lunchtime?'

'About 1?' Joey asked him. Jake nodded his head.

'1 is great' He replied. 'I'll see you then'

Joey watched him leave, a cold shiver ran through his body as he thought about what Jake could have done to Lauren if he knew the truth.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jake returned home, letting himself in with his keys. He was surprised to find Lauren lying on the stairs still. He expected she would've gotten up and gone to the bathroom to clean herself soon as he'd left. He kicked her leg with his foot. She didn't move or make a sound. He kicked her again a little harder, again nothing from her. He tossed his keys on the side and crouched down on the stairs beside her, feeling her neck for a pulse. She had one, but it was only a faint one. Now he was closer he could see a small pool of blood under her head and he sighed, pulling his phone out of his pocket he called 999.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jack watched as a stretcher was wheeled out of the house and loaded onto the back of an ambulance. A worried looking Jake got into the back with her. He sat beside her and clasped her hand between his, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it. The doors to the ambulance were slammed shut and moments later it pulled out of the square with its blue lights flashing. He wondered what had happened, wondering whether or not Jake had done something to Lauren. There was nothing he could do about it if he had. Lauren was the only one with the power to be able to do something about it. He continued on his way to meet Max and Derek at the Vic, his mind still processing what he'd just seen.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** Well I promised you another chapter so here it is…. Although I'm not really sure you'll be thanking me for it now! Jake came home earlier than planned and realised Lauren spent the night elsewhere. I wonder if he believes Joey's explanation. What do you think? I thin whilst Jake was angry he really didn't intend to hurt Lauren as much as he has…is she going to be okay? Is this going to be enough to make her go to the police or is she going to call things off with Joey? What's Jack going to do? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow. **


	82. Chapter 82

**Chapter Eighty One**

Jake helped Lauren out of the taxi later on that afternoon, putting his arm around her shoulders as he guided her towards the house. She was a little wobbly on her feet and had a killer headache. He unlocked the door as she leaned on him heavily. Once inside, he guided her towards the stairs, she found it difficult to climb them, so Jake picked her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs. Tears rolled down her cheeks as Jake sat her on the bed and stripped off her clothes, dressing her in her night things. He pulled back the covers on the bed and picked her up once more, settling her down against the pillows and then pulling the covers up over her. She turned her head away from him as he reached out to stroke her bruised face.

'I'm sorry' he whispered softly 'I get so angry…' he told her 'I just don't want you to leave me'

'Leave me alone, Jake' she said clenching her teeth together.

'Give me a call if you need anything' he said to her softly.

He got up and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he left the room. Lauren heard the front door open and close. Once she knew she was alone she burst into tears.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jake headed into the Vic and ordered a double scotch. Jack looked up from the table he was seated at with Derek, Max having left them a short while earlier. He watched as Jake downed the drink in one and ordered another two straight after. Jack drained his glass, getting up and walking to the bar to stand next to Jake. 'All right?' he said. Jake glanced at him.

'Yeah' he nodded his head, lifting the next glass to his lips.

'And Lauren?' Jack asked him. He saw Jake pause for a fraction of a second before he took another sip.

'Lauren's fine' Jake said.

'Only I saw an ambulance outside your house earlier this morning' Jack said 'saw you and Lauren getting into the back...Lauren on a stretcher…'

'She took a tumble and fell down the stairs' Jake said swallowing. 'It's no big deal' he told him with a shrug of his shoulders. 'She's fine' he said to Jack 'a few bumps and grazes…she's fine' he repeated, nodding his head.

'That's good to hear' Jack said 'Tell her we're all thinking of her. I'll come over and see her tomorrow'

'I will' Jake nodded his head, swallowing again and rubbing his chin.

Jack picked up his drink and he walked back to the table and sat down with his brother. After a few minutes they both got up and left the pub. As he headed to the club Jack made a phone call.** *JB*JB*JB*JB***

Sharon smiled as Jack walked in 'hello you, what brings you in here? I thought you were going for a drink with your brothers'

'Yeah I did' he nodded, leaning across the bar for a kiss. 'Lauren not working tonight?' he asked her as he glanced down the bar.

'No. it's her night off' Sharon said 'Jake's coming home tonight' she frowned 'why?'

'No reason' Jack shrugged and he glanced at Joey, seeing him flirting with a pretty girl at the bar, he rolled his eyes 'that boy is never going to settle down is he?'

'He hasn't met the right girl yet that's all' Sharon said to her husband 'he'll settle down when he does' Sharon said turning to get Jack a drink.

'How does Lauren seem to you?' Jack asked her.

Sharon blinked 'she's a lovely girl, a breath of fresh air. She doesn't take any of Joey's rubbish, which is a blessing after everything in the past' Sharon smiled 'the two of them get on like a house on fire' she glanced at Joey briefly before looking back at her husband 'why?' she frowned.

'Does she talk about Jake at all?'

'No, not really' Sharon shook her head 'she's a very private person, keeps her personal life to herself' she replied.

'Do you think she seems different when she's here than when she's with Jake?' Jack picked up his drink and took a sip.

'I haven't really thought about it' Sharon said 'but…now that you mention it, yeah, she is' she told him.

'How so?' Jack asked her putting his drink on the counter and fixing his gaze on her.

Sharon narrowed her eyes at him and put her hands on her hips 'what's going on, Jack?' she asked him

'Nothing' he shrugged his shoulders

'Only this feels like an interrogation instead of a conversation' she said to him. 'Jack?' she pressed him again when he looked away. 'You're worrying me now…what's going on, Jack?'

Jack sighed 'Jake came home this morning. I was heading over to the Vic to meet Del and Max for lunch when I saw Lauren being loaded into the back of an ambulance. I just saw Jake in the pub and he said she's fine, claims she fell down the stairs.'

'Claims? You don't believe him?' Sharon asked him.

'I don't know' Jack shook his head with a sigh. He glanced at Joey again and frowned. 'I don't know, babe'

Joey looked at his watch and headed towards his Aunt and Uncle 'I'm going on my break' he told them both.

'Okay darling' Sharon smiled at him. Jack watched as Joey ducked into the staffroom and a few minutes later came out with his jacket, a worried look on his face. 'Hey, where are you going?' Sharon asked him. Joey turned to look at her, his eyes darting between her and his uncle.

'I…I…just need to pop out. I'll be as quick as I can' he said and he turned and disappeared up the stairs.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews over 2000 of them! **** Jack is certainly suspicious of Jake but is he going to do anything about it? Is there anything he can do about it? Is Jake really feeling bad about what he has done or is he worried that Lauren is going to go to the Police? And where's Joey going? Leave me a review…if I have 20 reviews by 8:30 I will post another chapter tonight xx **


	83. Chapter 83

**Chapter Eighty two**

Lauren climbed out of bed and made her way down the stairs. It was slow progress as she felt a little bit shaky on her feet and her head and face were still pounding. She clung onto the bannister with both hands and took the stairs one at a time. She called out to Jake but there was no reply, she deadlocked the door so if he did come back home he wouldn't be able to get in. She sat down on the bottom stair and grabbed her phone from her bag and called Joey. It rang three times and went through to voicemail, so she hung up and tried again. She lost count of how many times she tried to call him, but she kept trying. The last time she tried he answered the phone with his usual 'Hello gorgeous', something he always said whenever she called him and he was alone. As soon as she heard his voice she burst into tears. 'Baby, what's wrong?' she heard the panic in his voice straight away, his playful tone was gone. She couldn't speak through her tears 'are you at home?' he asked her 'I'm coming over' he said when she didn't say anything 'I'll be there in a few minutes' he said and hung up the phone. Lauren pressed the disconnect button and put the phone back in her bag, waiting for him to get there.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey raced towards Lauren's house, panic climbing further as he ran. All he could hear was the sound of her crying uncontrollably down the phone to him. His mind was running through worst case scenarios of what could've happened to her, what Jake had done to her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey sprinted past the market, past the Vic and through the gardens towards Lauren's house. He reached the door and knocked gently. 'Babe, it's me' he called through. Lauren got up slowly using the wall to balance herself as she walked to the door. She unlocked the door and pulled it open wide. Once Lauren saw Joey she threw herself into his arms, crying uncontrollably all over again. He wrapped his arms around her 'it's okay baby I'm here' he whispered softly. 'Sssh' he pressed his lips to the top of her head. 'Tell me what happened' he whispered rocking her gently in his arms. She pulled away from him and pushed the door shut, deadlocking it again. She took a deep breath and turned to face him, he saw her wobble slightly on her feet as she turned. He looked at her face and saw she had a cut on the bridge of her nose, a very prominent bump on her forehead and the skin around her eyes a nice shade of black. 'Did he hit you?' he asked her.

'No' she said softly shaking her head, the motion made her feel dizzy and she moved to the wall and leant against it, closing her eyes as she fought back a wave of nausea.

'You need to be in bed' Joey told her softly, he carefully picked her up in his arms and climbed the stairs, she closed her eyes as she rested her head against his shoulder, curling into his body, soothed by his presence. Once upstairs he settled her in the bed and brushed her hair away from her face 'what happened, baby? If he didn't hit you'

'He…he told the doctors I fell down the stairs'

'Doctors?'

'He called an ambulance…they took me to hospital' she explained.

'Ambulance? Hospital?' he frowned 'when?'

'This morning' she whispered as new tears fell. 'We didn't get back until late this afternoon' she said. Well that explained why Jake stood him up at lunchtime, Joey thought to himself. He felt guilty because he didn't realise Jake had already hurt Lauren before he stormed over to his flat demanding answers. He was glad the two of them worked out an alibi should this ever happen, but felt guilty he didn't think about the repercussions of Jake's temper.

'Oh hey, don't cry' Joey whispered, moving to lay down on the bed beside her. He put his arm around her and she moved to lay her head on his chest. She cried for about five minutes and then after she calmed down, she sniffed and looked up at him.

'I'm sorry' she whispered.

'Don't be, you have nothing to be sorry for, Lauren' he told her 'I'm glad you called me. So how did you manage to fall down the stairs hey?' he asked her, brushing her tears away.

'I…I didn't' she told him in a whisper.

'Then what happened?' he asked her softly.

'Promise me you won't get angry and do something stupid?' she asked him, Joey knew he probably wasn't going to like what she was going to tell him, but looking at her face he knew he'd end up promising her what she asked him and keeping that promise no matter how badly he wanted to break it.

'I promise' he nodded his head.

Lauren licked her lips and took a deep breath 'he was here when I got home this morning' she told him 'he was waiting for me in the kitchen. He asked me where I'd been, I told him I'd been out for breakfast with Alice and he told me I was lying. He'd been home since last night and he knew I didn't come home' she said to him, 'I turned and walked out of the kitchen, I was going to get out of the house, go outside so he wouldn't do anything but he caught up with me before I even got to the front door…he grabbed my hair and smashed my face into the door…twice…' she said and her tears started to fall again 'he broke my nose' she sobbed.

'It's still a pretty nose' Joey told her with a sad smile.

'He…he tried to choke me…he had his arm over my throat and was pressing it hard…I couldn't breathe and I felt lightheaded…and then he threw me towards the stairs…I hit my head pretty hard…I have seven stitches' she whispered as she raised her hand towards the side of her head.

'Didn't the hospital call the Police?' Joey asked her, Lauren shook her head.

'I told them I couldn't remember' she said and looked down. 'I was so scared, Joey…I wanted you…'

'I'm here, it's okay' he whispered, pulling her against him again, kissing her forehead gently as she looked at him 'I'm here now' he told her. 'Why don't you try and get some sleep hey?' he asked her.

'Will you stay with me?' she asked him quietly.

'Until you fall asleep' he nodded his head.

It took nearly an hour and a few kisses (which Joey was happy to give her) and promising countless times he wasn't going to go after Jake, before Lauren finally fell asleep. Whilst she was sleeping he took out his phone and took pictures of her face and throat as well as the stitches in her head. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and reluctantly let himself out of the house and heading back towards R&amp;R.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey returned to the club 2 hours after he'd left. He headed back behind the bar with a quick apology to Sharon.

'Hey wait a minute…you're over an hour and a half late back from your break' Sharon frowned at him.

'I'll make up the time' Joey told her turning away from her.

'Hey, wait a minute I think I deserve an explanation don't you?' she frowned at him.

Joey sighed, turning back to face his Aunt and Uncle. 'I'm sorry, I just had something I need to sort out' he told them both.

'I'm sorry Joey that's not good enough' Sharon shook her head.

'Well it's going to have to be' Joey snapped at her, turning his back on them both and returning to the bar 'yes what can I get you' Joey asked a man waiting to be served. Sharon exchanged a confused glance with Jack who shrugged in response.

As the hours passed Jack saw a different Joey than the one who was here before he left on his break. He was no longer flirting with any of the girls he served, he short changed a couple of people and kept glancing at his watch. What surprised Jack even more was the look of pure hatred that crossed his face when Jake came into the club and sat at the bar. Jack got up ready to break up a fight if one broke out, but Joey surprised him again, the hatred disappeared as he grinned at Jake and acted like they were best friends.

Jack's suspicions were raised even more. Call it a hunch left over from his policing days. Whatever it was he knew there was something going on here and he was going to figure out what it was.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** So that's where Joey went to. Lauren called him up and he dropped everything and went running. Jake is busy getting drunk whilst Joey is comforting his wife. Jack is certainly suspicious about more than Jake… I wonder what Lauren is going to do now… Leave me a review. Back tomorrow x**


	84. Chapter 84

**Chapter Eighty-Three. **

When Lauren woke the next morning she was surprised to find she was alone in the bed. She climbed out of bed feeling a little sore and headed for the shower. She knew she wasn't allowed to wash her hair for three days so she was careful not to get it wet, but it was nice to be under the soothing water. She dressed, wearing a turtle neck sweater to hide her bruised neck and found some sunglasses. She crept down the stairs and checked in the lounge and kitchen for Jake but he wasn't there.

Picking up her bag she put her sunglasses on and checked her reflection in the mirror. They hid the bruising on her face but the bruise on her forehead was showing. She finger brushed her hair over her forehead to hide the bruise that was clearly visible there and she let herself out of the house.

She didn't know where she was going she just knew she had to get away from Walford. From Jake. She didn't know for how long but she knew it needed to be for a few days at least. But to do that she needed money. And the money she had was over at Joey's flat.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey was standing by the window drinking coffee when he saw Lauren walking across the square towards the flat. He glanced at the sofa and put his cup down on the table. He crossed the room and opened the door quietly, hurrying down the stairs. Lauren was surprised to see Joey pulling open the door before she had a chance to press the buzzer.

'I saw you from the window' Joey explained in a hushed voice. She frowned and glanced up the stairs wondering why he was whispering. Did he have another girl in there with him? 'Jake came into the club last night' he told her 'He was already pretty drunk when he came in and I should've refused to serve him and kicked him out but I was worried about you, what he would do if he left, so I served him all night. I brought him back here when we closed and he passed out on the sofa' he told her, 'how do you feel this morning?' he asked her.

'Better, headache is less throbby' she told him softly.

'That's good' he glanced behind him, up the stairs. 'Listen how about I meet you at the café in half an hour?' he told her 'we can talk'

'I don't want to talk, I came over for the money you're keeping for me' she said to him.

Joey frowned 'what do you want that for?'

'I just…I need to go…please can you get the money for me' she pleaded with him.

'There's not enough there for you to get far' he told her

'I'm going to go to my mums, there's enough for me to go to my mums' she said quietly. 'Please, Joey'

'And what happens when you get there, hey? What are you going to tell her about the bruises on your face?' he asked her. He fished in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys 'go to the club, I'll check on Jake and then I'll come over, okay?'

'You'll bring my money?' she asked him and he nodded.

'Yes' he said. She took the keys from him and headed towards the club.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren let herself into the club and sat down in the corner. She took off her sunglasses and placed them on the table. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She thought about what Joey had said to her about how she'd explain the bruises on her face to her mother. Tears filled her eyes as she realised she had nowhere else to go. No one else to turn to. She buried her face in her hands and cried.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey walked into the club twenty minutes later, he could hear Lauren crying as he came down the stairs. He ran down the remaining 10 or so steps and saw her in the corner of the room. He hurried over to her and swept her up off the seat, sitting down and moving her onto his lap. She clung to him tightly as she cried harder.

'It's okay, baby' he rubbed her back gently.

'It's not okay' she sobbed 'you were right, I can't go to mum's, and there's nowhere else I can go' she shook her head.

'Why don't we go to the Police?' he asked her.

'They won't do anything, Joey' she told him.

'You don't know that if you don't try' he tried to reason with her. 'I took some pictures of your injuries on my phone, we can show them to the Police…' he said to her.

'It'll just make things worse' she said 'it's my word against his and I lied in the hospital...'

'You don't know what they will do unless you go down there, I'll come with you' he said to her 'we can go right now. The pictures will speak for themselves….so will how you look now' he told her.'

Lauren licked her lips 'they'll want to talk to him, they'll want me to press charges, they won't arrest him…' she shook her head again 'I'm too scared to….'

Joey sighed 'maybe Uncle Jack can help?' he asked her.

'He'd tell you the same thing I have' she replied.

They both froze when they heard footsteps on the stairs. Lauren quickly moved off Joey's lap and sat beside him.

'Sharon?' they heard a voice call out 'are you down here?'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Ian appeared at the bottom of the stairs 'Oh…sorry. I saw the door open and I thought Sharon was down here'

'She's gone out with Jack for the day' Joey told him 'they won't be back much before 4pm'

'Right, thanks…I guess it will have to wait then' he sighed, he looked at them both. Ian frowned seeing Lauren was crying and he stepped further into the club.

'Lauren was upset' Joey said to him 'we just came in here to have somewhere to talk away from prying eyes'

Ian gasped when he saw Lauren's face. 'Oh my god what happened to your face?' he asked her, moving closer to them both.

'Depends who you ask' Joey replied. Ian frowned, clearly confused. 'Jake happened to her face' Joey explained.

'Joey!' Lauren hissed at him. 'Don't' she looked horrified at his disclosure.

'Maybe Ian can convince you to go to the Police seeing as I can't' he looked at Ian imploringly.

'Jake did this?' Ian asked her pulling out a chair and sitting down.

'And it's not the first time' Joey interjected.

'Joey!' Lauren frowned at him again.

'Lauren, sweetheart, you should listen to Joey, you should go to the Police, file a report' Ian told her.

'It won't help' Lauren shook her head sadly.

'Have you tried before?' Ian asked her. Lauren shook her head.

'Why not?' Ian pressed her gently 'if he's done this before?'

'They wouldn't believe me' Lauren shook her head.

'Why wouldn't they?' Ian asked her with a frown.

'Jake said they won't…' she trailed off. 'I'm not going to the Police' she said looking down at her hands.

Joey sighed 'then at least let me book you into a B&amp;B somewhere tonight' he told her 'let me get you some place safe'

Lauren looked up at him 'what about Jake?' she asked him and he could see the fear in her eyes.

'Let me worry about Jake' he told her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jake frowned as he tried Lauren's phone again, it went straight through to a message telling him the phone he was trying to contact was switched off. He put the phone down on the coffee table.

'Still no luck?' Joey asked bringing him a beer, placing it on the coffee table beside the phone.

'Nope. She's switched her phone off' Jake sighed 'I can't even track her on GPS' he picked up the beer and took a drink.

'You can't blame her for taking off like that' Joey said to him, 'I mean you said you scared yourself when you realised what you'd done. Put yourself in her shoes'

Jake looked up at him 'where would she go?' he asked his friend.

'I don't know' Joey said 'you said she didn't have any money?'

'Only about £15' Jake said 'that wouldn't get her far' he said putting down his beer and picking up his phone again. He licked his lips as he pulled Lauren's number up again and sent a quick text. He stared at it for a while and then put the phone back on the table.

'She'll be back tomorrow' Joey said 'she's probably just gone somewhere to clear her head, maybe staying with a friend of Alice's or something?'

'Yeah, you're probably right' Jake nodded in agreement.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren settled down into the bed at the B&amp;B. She'd locked the door to her room and then wedged a chair underneath the handle like Joey had shown her, just in case anyone tried to get in. She was now lying in the bed, the duvet pulled up and tucked under her chin.

She was frightened and she was alone. She turned on the phone Jake had got her and as soon as it turned on it started to vibrate in her hand, she had a text. Opening the text she saw it was from Jake.

'I'm sorry' was all it said.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** I am so glad you are all enjoying TBB. Well Joey and Ian have tried to persuade Lauren to go to the Police but she's too scared of what will happen, she thinks Jake will get off and at the end of the say she's the one who has to live with him… Poor Lauren…At least she listened to Joey and let him put her in a B&amp;B for the night… Leave me a review back tomorrow x **


	85. Chapter 85

**Chapter Eighty-Four**

Lauren was smiling to herself. She was excited to see Joey after her weekend trip to see her mother. She knew Joey had played a big part in talking Jake into letting her go when she'd returned home after two nights at the B&amp;B, and she planned to show him exactly how grateful she was when they next happened to be alone together, which she was hoping was going to be sooner rather than later.

She paid the taxi driver and carried her bags into the club, disappointed to find Jack and Ricky behind the bar. Walking into the staff room she stashed her bags behind the door and put her jacket and handbag into our locker. She checked her phone to see if Joey had replied to her last text, but he hadn't. She frowned and dialed his number, it rang three times and then went through to voicemail; she disconnected the call and deleted it from her phone history. Feeling a little disappointed she placed the phone in her locker and headed out to the bar.

She learnt, throughout the course of the evening that Joey had called in one of his "favours" his Uncle Jack owed him and was apparently out on a date with a couple of gorgeous identical twins he'd picked up the night before.

Ricky had told her, with a grin, it was Joey's ultimate fantasy to have twins so he was probably making the most of it. This put a dampener on Lauren's mood. Her joy and excitement at seeing Joey had turned to heartbreak and misery. It was all she could do to fight back the tears which were threatening to fall. Jack could see Lauren wasn't really focused on her job and had witnessed her making a few mistakes with the till and with drinks. He walked over to her.

'Why don't you take an early break?' he asked her 'Ricky and I can cover here'

'I'm fine Mr. Branning' Lauren told him, shaking her head.

'It's Jack. I don't know how many times I've told you that' he smiled at her. 'Go, break' he nodded his head towards the staffroom.

'Okay…Mr. …Jack' she said with a sad smile. She signed out of the till and went into the staffroom, closing the door behind her. Lauren sighed as she started to make some coffee.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Her mind moved back to the few minutes she and Joey had stolen the Friday before she left to visit her mother. She'd received a phone call from Joey, whilst Jake was nearby and she couldn't really say the things to Joey that she wanted to say, so she'd told Jake that Joey said he needed to see her to go over the rotas for when she came back from visiting her mother. Jake had rolled his eyes but had let Lauren go, albeit reluctantly.

What she didn't know was that Jake was beginning to question Joey's loyalty towards him as a friend and he was getting more than a little annoyed that whenever he went into the club the two of them were laughing and joking as though they'd known each other for years.

Lauren had found Joey in the cellar, getting some stock ready to take to bottle up. 'Hey' Lauren said with a grin as she walked in. Joey turned.

'Hey you!' he said surprised, returning her smile 'What are you doing here?' he asked her 'I was expecting you to be on your way to your mums' he watched her crossing the room towards him, careful of the crates he had haphazardly left lying around. 'I just phoned you to say goodbye'

'I know' she nodded her head 'Well I wanted to see you before I left' she told him.

'Yeah?' his smile broadened.

'Mmhmm' she nodded her head, her bottom lip slipping between her teeth as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

'You going miss me are you?' he teased her as she nodded her head and his hands moved to her waist.

'Course I am and you know you're going to miss me too' she replied with a knowing smile.

Joey sighed, she was right, he was. 'Yeah, maybe a little' he teased her again.

She frowned, wrinkling her nose, Joey laughed softly and kissed the tip softly. 'Only a little?' she pouted.

'You know better than that' he told her 'how long have you got until you need to be back?' he asked her pulling her closer to him. She could feel his arousal growing between them.

'Not that long' she said reading his mind, she giggled and her cheeks flushed a little as she thought about the delectable things Joey could be doing to her body, 'I told Jake I had to check you had cover whilst I was away' she explained.

'It's all taken care of' he said softly 'are you looking forward to seeing your mum?'

'Yes' Lauren nodded her head 'thank you for talking Jake into it, it means a lot' she told him honestly.

'What can I say? I like seeing you happy' he told her sincerely 'even if that means I have to give you up for 72 hours' he moistened his lips.

'You better behave while I'm gone' she said staring into Joey's eyes. He knew exactly what she meant and he had no intention of sleeping with anyone else whilst she was away.

'Promise' he said drawing her into a brief kiss 'just means I'll be incredibly horny when you get back so you better have a good excuse for being late home Monday night' he told her.

'I will' she smiled at him.

'And it's not as though we aren't going to talk or text right? You are taking your phone with you?'

'Yep, it's in my pocket' she replied.

'Good' Joey gazed at her 'I'm going to miss you' he said with a small frown 'and you should be getting back to Jake before he comes looking for you, so kiss me and go' he said.

Lauren nodded reaching up to kiss him, Joey deepened the kiss and they both moaned softly, he hugged her and told her to have fun, stealing another long deep kiss before letting her go. Her hand brushed over his arousal as she turned away from him, a knowing smile on her face. 'It works both ways you know' he called after her, she turned in the doorway a confused frown on her face. 'You better behave too!'

'You know I will' she replied with a smile, she blew him a kiss and left the club. She'd made it halfway up the stairs when her phone beeped. It was a text from Joey.

"**Missing you already babe x" **she grinned to herself and headed home.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

As she walked back to the house she thought about Jake, how he'd been with her when she returned home from the B&amp;B. He looked worried.

'Hi' he said softly as she stepped through the door. 'I've been worried about you' he told her, he looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to explain where she'd been.

'I find that hard to believe' she said to him putting her bag down on the floor, folding her arms over her chest. She held the Yale key in her hand and had every intention of stabbing him in the eye with the pointy end of it if he came anywhere near her.

'I'm sorry, Lauren' he told her 'I know you probably don't believe me but I am' he took a breath 'where did you go?'

'I stayed with a friend of Alice's' she told him. 'Repeating the cover story Joey had told him'

'Did you? And what friend would that be?' he asked her.

'You don't know them' Lauren replied. Jake frowned at her, knowing she wasn't going to tell him anymore about it. He'd have to pay a little visit to Alice after Lauren left and make it very clear to her that she needed to stop interfering in matters that didn't concern her and let her know in no uncertain terms what the consequences would be if she felt inclined to "help" Lauren get away from him again. He'd already had a similar conversation with Lucy in regards to the "disagreement" she'd had with his wife in the club, which in turn led to Lauren sleeping at Joey's and her little "mishap" the next morning when she finally returned home. He changed the subject.

What did you do?' he asked her pushing his hands into his pockets nervously.

'Is that your way of asking me if I went to the Police?' Lauren asked.

'Did you?' he asked her a worried look on his face.

'No' she said shaking her head.

'Why not?' he blinked surprised.

'Like you said, they wouldn't believe me would they?' she asked him 'It's not as though they'd do anything' she said quietly.

Jake licked his lips 'you haven't been to see your mother for a while' he said 'why don't you go and pay her a visit?' he suggested to her.

'Why?' she asked him with a frown.

'I thought you'd like it' he said to her 'I know how much you miss your mother' he told her 'It's my way of an apology'

'And what happens when I get back?' she asked him.

'We talk' he told her.

'About a divorce?' she asked him hopefully.

'I don't know, maybe?' he said 'we'll see how things are when you get home'

'I want to go this weekend' she told him 'and I want some money'

'Okay' he nodded his head.

And with that Lauren had gone upstairs to the bedroom, she closed the door behind her and sat down on the bed and sent a text to Joey.

"_**Thank you. I'm going to see mum this weekend. L x"**_

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Back in the club, Lauren was feeling disappointed and more than a little hurt. Deciding she needed to punish herself some more, Lauren opened her locker to check her phone once again. Pulling out her phone she realised she had a message. Her fingers were shaking as she pressed the button to read it.

"_**Make an excuse and come over to mine. I'm waiting for you. I'm naked…X"**_ she read, a slow smile spreading across her face.

She walked back out to the bar, taking a breath and walking up to Jack 'Mr Brann… Jack…I do have a bit of a headache, would it be okay if I took off early?' she asked him.

'Of course sweetheart' he nodded his head at her 'Feel better soon' he smiled.

Lauren returned to the staffroom, pulling everything out of her locker. She left the club and headed over to Joey's.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** And a special thanks to all you wonderful guest reviewers….you know who you are! I can't reply to your messages because you are guest but I love reading your reviews and I am so pleased you are all enjoying TBB! **

**Well, Lauren's been away for a while for a break with her mum. And she's excited to see Joey…enough to lie to Jack and tell him she's sick…I mean who wouldn't if they got a text from Joey telling them he's waiting for them and he'd naked? Leave me a review… Back tomorrow. **

**Oh….and in case you're interested….the very first chapter of a Christmas story will be posted at 7:00pm tonight **


	86. Chapter 86

**Chapter Eighty Five**

Lauren made sure no one saw her as she used her key to let herself into Joey's flat. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. 'I'm in the bedroom, babe' Joey called out.

Lauren's heart started racing in her chest as she dropped her bag and coat on the sofa. She stepped out of her shoes and walked towards the bedroom.

There, lying on the bed in all his naked glory was Joey. His hands were linked behind his head, a huge grin on his face, she let her eyes run over his muscular chest, his rippling six pack; her eyes fixed on his very erect cock. She licked her lips and swallowed as she stood at the foot of the bed.

'Strip…slowly' Joey instructed her. Lauren blinked at him, slowly unbuttoning her blouse 'not that slowly' he told her impatiently. Ignoring him she continued to strip slowly, turning her back on him as she removed her bra and knickers before she turned round to face him again. She was standing naked at the foot of the bed. His eyes travelled over her body, part of him checking her out, the other part searching for marks and bruises left from the attack by Jake. Whilst he was looking at her his hand moved to his cock and he was stroking it firmly. 'Kiss me' Joey smirked at her, a grin spread across Lauren's face as she crawled towards him over the bed. She pressed a kiss to the head of his cock and Joey groaned as she licked him too for good measure. 'You are such a tease…' he murmured as she kissed a trail up his stomach to his chest.

'Tease, am I?' Lauren whispered against his lips as she straddled him. Lauren reached between her legs circling her hand around Joey's erection and she pressed it against her entrance, sinking down on him as she kissed him. They both moaned contentedly into each other's mouths as they were finally one again.

Joey's hands moved to her thighs and he gripped them hard, almost painfully as she moved against him. He slid his hands to her waist and he guided her movements, pulling her down hard as he thrust upwards. She broke the kiss and gasped, sitting up and leaning backwards, throwing her head back and thrusting her chest forward. She gripped his thighs as she rode him. Joey groaned as he watched her. She was so much different than she'd been the first time they'd had sex, she'd been shy and timid about her body, about sex and now she was just as into sex as he was. Sometimes she would make the first move, she would take control when they had sex just like she was doing now and he loved it.

Joey wasn't the type of man who would have sex with a girl more than once. Unless it was more than once in the same night, of course. Once he'd screwed them he didn't usually see them again afterwards. He was a fuck them and leave them type, never interested in having the same experience twice. The only exception to the rule had been Lucy. She was convenient and obedient when he was feeling lazy. She was his "go to" girl. He knew she would come running anytime he called her, she was like a little obedient puppy dog.

Lucy had been the only exception to the rule…until now that is.

Joey didn't know what it was about Lauren, but he'd known before he'd even had sex with her that once wouldn't be enough. He couldn't quite describe the reasoning behind it; he didn't even understand it himself. There was just something about her. He flipped her suddenly so he was above her, causing her to squeal in surprise and then giggle. Joey smiled at her as he started to thrust into her harder and faster, he knew her release was close, his was too. He'd been without her for 72 hours and had missed her like crazy. Missed fucking her. She trembled beneath him as she wrapped her legs around his waist, her hips meeting his thrusts as she groaned and arched beneath him. 'JOE!' she cried out as her orgasm hit. Joey bent his head, pressing his lips to her throat as he came hard.

Moments later Lauren smiled as he rolled off her 'Well… that was quick' she giggled.

'You cheeky little minx!' Joey exclaimed, a little taken aback by her boldness, he laughed and she smiled at him.

'You missed me!' she said in a sing-song voice. 'You missed me!' He laughed harder and he rolled so he was looking down at her, he brushed her hair away from her face and slowly tucked her hair behind her ear, his head tilted to the side as he did so, 'you missed me' she whispered. Joey gazed down at her.

'I did' he admitted to her softly 'more than I thought I would' he said.

She swallowed as she asked him the next question 'did you behave?'

'Yes' he replied without hesitation 'did you?' he nodded his head towards her, his eyes searching hers. She rolled her eyes at him as though his suggestion of her being with anyone else was the stupidest idea he'd ever had.

'Ricky said something about twins?' she looked at him pointedly.

'Well I needed a cover story didn't I hey?' he asked her. 'I mean I couldn't ask Jack for the night off because I was waiting for you to come home and I was planning on fucking you as soon as you got here, could I?' he asked her

'No I guess not' she said shaking her head.

'Exactly' he kissed her again. 'How's your mum?' he asked her.

Lauren beamed at him 'she's good. She split up from her boyfriend three weeks ago and she said seeing me again made her feel much better about things. I've really missed her' she admitted to him.

'Did she say anything about the bruises?' he asked her.

'Nope, she didn't see them. I covered them with foundation' she told him.

'Did she ask about…things?'

'Yeah, she did' Lauren nodded her head 'I told her all about life here, my job at the club, my adoptive family. About Alice, you…not everything about you...obviously' she said with a small blush. 'I'm glad I went' she told him 'thank you for suggesting it to Jake'

'Anything to make you smile like this' Joey said as his knuckles grazed her cheek. He licked his lips. 'So where does he think you are?' he asked her.

'I called him last night and told him I was getting the last train back and then I was going straight to the club. I told him I'd be home in the early hours after work' she told him, she circled her arms around his neck 'I wanted to spend as much time with you as I could tonight'

'Yeah?' he smiled at her. She nodded and chewed on her bottom lip. He bent his head to kiss her. 'Wait…did you miss me…or the sex?'

Lauren giggled 'both'

Joey grinned at her and bent his head, kissing her tenderly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

A couple of hours later Lauren rolled over to look at the clock on the bedside table. She sighed as she saw the time. 'I have to go' she whispered as Joey moved up behind her, one hand sliding between her legs, pushing a finger inside her and thrusting gently.

'Stay the night' he murmured, trailing his lips along her throat.

'I can't' she whispered softly 'he'll probably have finished up at the restaurant by now, I need to go home' she closed her eyes, arching up against him as he pushed a second finger inside her.

'Yes you can. You still want me' he told her cockily.

'I always want you' she admitted to him softly. 'Stop' she pushed against his wrist. 'I have to go' she repeated, a little firmer this time.

He sighed, easing his fingers out of her, watching her as she scrambled out of bed and picked up her discarded clothes. She turned to look at him as she dressed and he put his fingers into his mouth, sucking off her juices. 'Mmm, delicious'

'Stop it' she told him shaking her head, with a sad smile on her face, wanting nothing more than to crawl back into his bed, into his arms and losing herself in him. She sat down at the end of the bed to put on her jeans, she heard movement behind her, Joey swept her hair over her shoulder and his lips nuzzled her neck as his hands cupped her breasts. 'Joey…'

'Stay…text him, tell him we've had a lock in at the club. Tell him not to wait up' he said, turning her head to his so he could kiss her. He lay her back on the bed, his hand dipped between her legs again, snaking inside her trousers and knickers and she mewled into his mouth. She had to admit sex with Joey was great. She'd never had sex that made her feel this way before. She'd only ever had sex with her husband. Over the 8 years of their marriage they'd only had sex a few times. She'd now had sex with Joey many more times than she had with her husband and she didn't regret it one little bit. Not for the first time she wished she'd met Joey long before she'd met Jake. Maybe then things would've been different for the both of them. Then again, who was she kidding? Joey would still have commitment issues and she would probably have been just another notch on his bedpost, or she would've been a "Lucy", always running to Joey for sex whenever he clicked his fingers.

She realised Joey had removed her trousers and knickers again and was poised over her.

'What are you thinking?' he asked her seeing she had a sad far-away look on her face. She turned her focus back onto him. Lauren stared at the man above her and she shook her head.

'It's nothing important' she told him softly, she reached out and stroked his cheek with her fingers, her decision made, she was going to spend the night with Joey 'can you give me a second?' she asked him.

He nodded and moved off her. He watched her as she climbed off the bed, pulling her phone out of her bag. She sent a text message and a few minutes later her phone beeped and she read the response, she turned off her phone dropping it into her bag, she looked at Joey and she smiled 'We have a few more hours' she told him.

Joey grinned at her 'Good, come here' he said pulling her closer him, a few moments later they both gave a contended sigh as he slid inside her again.

***JL*JL*JL*JL* **

Lauren reluctantly left the haven of Joey's arm, bed and flat at 4:00am. He pulled on a pair of jeans, leaving the button undone and followed her down the stairs to the front door. He slid his arms around her waist pulling her towards him. He kissed her, pressing her back against the door. She moaned softly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing herself against him, his hands moved to her bottom and he squeezed firmly. When they broke the kiss he sighed 'you'd better go' he told her softly.

'Yeah' she nodded her head 'I'll see you later?' she asked him.

'I'm not planning on going anywhere so I'll be around if you want to get away for a few hours later' he told her and she gave him a bright smile and turned to open the door and then turned back to face him and pressed another quick kiss to his lips and then she was gone. Joey closed his eyes and leant up against the wall. He'd just lied to her…to her face and she had gone home… trusting him, believing him. He didn't like the guilt that was building in the pit of his stomach.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** I hope that Jake grants Lauren a divorce…they'll clearly not happy together. Lauren is so in love with Joey and Joey is in love with Lauren…they had a good time together tonight….but what is Joey lying to her about? I really hope he's not playing around behind her back! Next chapter will be up tomorrow. Leave me a review. Oh…on another note there's a new story that's been posted on my fanfiction site "A Christmas Song" It's a sequel to 12 Days Of Christmas and co-written by the wonderfully lovely 74crazychick. Go have a read and leave us a review xxx **


	87. Chapter 87

**Chapter Eighty-Six**

When Lauren woke up the next morning, she saw a cup of coffee on the table. She sat up and picked it up. It was still hot. She took a tentative sip and set it back on the table. With a sigh she picked up her bag and rose to her feet and headed up the stairs to the bathroom.

After a shower she changed her clothes, putting her dirty clothes in the laundry bag. Jake was waiting for her in the lounge when she got downstairs. 'You're home then' he said to her.

'Looks like it' she nodded her head.

'You said you wanted to talk, when you got back' he looked at her expectantly.

'There's only one thing I want to talk about and that's a divorce' she told him, folding her arms across her chest.

'We've had this discussion time and time again, Lauren. We're not getting a divorce' he told her firmly. 'I've told you that so many times I thought it might have finally sunk in by now. So if that's all you wanted to talk about then I'm sorry…there's nothing to discuss' he told her, walking out of the lounge. A few moments later she heard the front door slam shut.

Lauren closed her eyes and leant up against the wall, her fists clenched at her sides. She took a few deep breaths as hot angry tears filled her eyes. Blinking them away she bent down and picked up her laundry bag, left the house and headed to the launderette.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jake let himself into the restaurant and he walked through to the kitchen. He pulled out his phone and he made a phone call. 'It's me. I'm at the restaurant' he said 'be here in fifteen minutes' he ordered and then he hung, up not giving the person on the other end of the phone a chance to say anything. He put the phone down on the metal work top and waited.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren put her washing in the machine and then sat down on the bench that ran through the middle of the launderette. Her anger was slowly rising inside her. She should've realised Jake had no intention of discussing a divorce with her. She felt humiliated and embarrassed because she'd told Joey what Jake had promised her. And Joey had been pleased with this step in Lauren freeing herself from Jake. Lauren was also pleased but also a little worried about it. Would Joey still want her if she was divorced from Jake or would this mean the end of their "relationship" or whatever the Hell it was they were doing? Taking a deep breath, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed a number. It rang eight times before it diverted to voicemail. She left a brief message.

"_**Joey…it's me…where are you? He said no to the divorce. He wouldn't even talk about it like he promised he would. The fucking bastard was just playing with me the whole time…I need to see you… please call me back when you get this"**_

When Mrs. Cotton came in Lauren asked her to look after her washing and told her she would be back for it later. Mrs. Cotton agreed with a smile, sending Lauren on her way. Lauren left the launderette and headed for the gym. She let herself in and walked down the stairs her eyes fixed on the two boys sparring in the ring. She moved her gaze to the fit guy the other side of the room who was thrashing a punch bag, right now she felt like doing just that. She needed to vent her anger and humiliation somewhere. She looked around the gym, looking for someone to help her. She spotted Jack talking to someone she couldn't see. She glanced at the punch bag again and took a couple of steps towards it.

'Lauren?' Jack called her name, his voice was tinged with amusement 'what are you doing here?' he asked her.

'I just thought I'd see what you have here, see if I was interested in joining the gym' she replied.

Jack's lips twitched, 'It's a boxing gym, darling'

'Girls box' she retorted.

'It's a men's only gym' he said to her. Her eyes darted around the gym as she realised what he'd said was true, she hadn't noticed before that there were no women in the gym. She felt her face heat as she went red with embarrassment. Without saying a word she turned to go 'Lauren…' he caught her arm, turning her back to face him. 'Was there a reason you wanted to join?' he asked her.

'No. Never mind' she said shaking her head.

'Because if you want to learn some self-defense…'

'I don't need to learn any self-defense' she snapped at him, yanking her arm out of his. She turned and practically ran from the club, leaving Jack staring after her. Something was definitely off. He thought back to the conversations he'd had first with Joey and then with Lauren about domestic abuse. Lauren had got so angry with him (and with Joey for talking to Jack about it)…now he thought about it, maybe he should have picked up on the fact Lauren had protested Jake's innocence a little too much. What if Jake was abusing Lauren…he'd seen enough domestic abuse victims during his time in the Police force to know that most abuse victims were too scared to come forward and press charges. Jack frowned, maybe he'd missed the signs because he'd been too busy watching Lauren and Joey together. He'd asked Joey outright if there was anything going on between him and Lauren and he'd vehemently denied it, insisting the two of them were just friends. He knew Joey had lied to him when he stumbled on the two of them have sex in the woods when he was taking Sharon on a picnic. He'd planned on confronting Joey, maybe even both of them when he saw them next, but when he watched them together, when he saw how happy Joey looked, Lauren too. He didn't have the heart to. He remembered seeing Lauren in the Vic with Jake several times since he'd arrived in the square and thinking about it now he could see how different her body language was when she was with him. It was like Lauren became a different girl. Much as he hated to admit it she seemed happier with his nephew and they seemed to bring out the best in each other. Jack chewed on his bottom lip, from now on he was going to watch Jake closely.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey glanced at his watch, he was going to be late. He glanced around to see if anyone was watching him as he pulled open the heavy double doors and entered the building. He really wasn't sure he should be doing this and he knew if Lauren found out then this "thing" they had would be over. He just hoped she would never find out.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lucy put the finishing touches to her makeup and glanced at the clock on her bedside table. She was running late, but as she promised herself time and time again, she wasn't going to jump when he told her to. Yes she was going to meet him, but only because she wanted something, only because he owed her. Other than that she wanted nothing more from him. Or at least that was what she was telling herself. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and she smiled. She looked good and she knew it. She couldn't wait to see his face when he saw her. He wasn't going to be able to resist her, but she wasn't going to give in, not this time.

She was fifteen minutes later than she was supposed to be. She looked up at the building she knew so well and pulled open the doors and stepped inside.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Derek watched as Alice suddenly leapt up from the table, draining her cup and putting on the side by the sink, 'I'm late, dad I have to go' she told him.

'Okay sweetheart' Derek said with a smile. 'Have fun'

She nodded and forced a smiled on her face for her dad's benefit before heading towards the front door 'somehow I doubt I will' she muttered to herself. As she walked she wished she could talk to Joey about this, get his advice but they'd had a huge fight a couple of nights earlier and as a result he was giving her the silent treatment. So she made the decision herself, unsure if she was doing the right thing or about to get herself in a whole lot of trouble. She reached her destination, pulled the doors open and stepped inside.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jake looked up as he heard the doors open and close. Footsteps were getting closer to the kitchen. The doors were pushed inwards.

'You're late' Jake said with an angry frown.

**AN: Thank you for all reviews…I wonder what Joey is up to and who did Jake call to meet him at the restaurant? Leave me a review….back tomorrow**


	88. Chapter 88

**Chapter Eighty-Seven **

'You're late' Jake said with an angry frown.

'You're lucky I'm here at all. Who the fuck do you think you are phoning me up and barking orders down the phone to me?'

'Yet you're still here' Jake said with a sly smile.

'What do you want?'

'I told you to stay away from my wife' he frowned menacingly.

They crossed the room to stand in front of him, getting into his face 'You think I'm afraid of you? You are nothing but a wife beater and in my book that makes you nothing but a pathetic loser'

Jake looked to the side with a nod of his head, and in a move that was too quick for anyone to anticipate he had his visitor pinned to the wall, his forearm pressed against their throat.

'You think I only beat my wife?' he snarled through clenched teeth 'you don't have a fucking clue what I am capable of' he pressed harder against their throat, causing them to choke 'but believe me when I tell you, you're about to find out' he promised them. His free hand moved to their jeans and he started to undo the buttons and fly and he pushed them down and then in another swift unpredictable movement they found themselves face down and bent over the steel kitchen worktop. Jake's arm tightened around their throat and they found they were unable to move. Underwear was ripped away and then there was a sound of a zip being undone. They were unable to cry out for help, unable to fight back. They were incapacitated. Something hard pressed against their buttocks…moving between their buttocks…moving forward and suddenly they were experiencing the most excruciating amount of pain they'd ever felt in their lives…tears filled their eyes and rolled down their cheeks…their mouths opened in a silent scream….

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren went back to the house and started to search for her driving license and passport…she looked everywhere she could think of looking, but she made sure she put everything back exactly where she'd found it so nothing would look out of place. So he wouldn't be suspicious.

She ran her fingers through her hair and looked through the last drawer. They weren't in the house, which meant only one thing. They had to be in the restaurant. Somehow she had to get the keys to the restaurant and the safe she knew he would have in there. She just needed to figure out how she could get them for long enough to be able to take a copy

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Jake was grunting hard, he loved this. Loved having the power, the dominance over someone like this. Especially over them. He growled closer to their ear. 'Don't try to deny it, I know you're enjoying this as much as I am…when I'm done, you're going to turn around, staying on your hands and knees and suck me until I am hard again and then we're going to do this again' he thrust back harder than he had been and a strangled cry filled the room. 'There…I knew you'd like this'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren left the house forty five minutes later. She needed to get Joey to help distract Jake long enough for her to get the keys and have a copy made. He'd told her last night he had no plans today so she headed over to his flat. She rang the buzzer but got no reply. Lauren frowned and glanced around. Seeing no one was watching her she let herself into the flat. He wasn't there. She frowned, wondering where he could be. He hadn't returned her call from earlier, she pulled her phone out of her pocket again and pressed redial. Like before, it rang out 8 times before the voicemail kicked in.

"_**It's me, I…I need to see you…please call me back" **_

She disconnected the call and headed to the launderette to collect her washing, feeling even more despondent than she had earlier.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

The ringing of a mobile filled the silence in the room. Jake could see the other person lying on the floor… their clothes still only partially removed from their body. His sense of power only increased further as he stared at their face, seeing the humiliation literally seeping from them. He'd broken them and he'd enjoyed it immensely. He smirked as he saw the tears on their face and he knew he'd achieved exactly what he'd wanted to. No one had ever made them feel this way before and they knew they would never ever feel the way they used to. Their feelings for Jake became stronger… they hated him even more than they had before, and he was going to pay for what he'd just done to them.

The shrill ringing stopped and Jake picked up the mobile phone from the side. One missed called the screen said. 'Oh…looks like they've left you a voicemail' Jake said as he dropped it back on the counter. The phone beeped indicating what he'd just told them. 'Well you can listen to that later…I don't know about you but I'm ready to do that again' he grinned widely. 'And this time I'm going to last much, much longer' Jake moved quickly, his body pressing against their back. They winced as the pain returned and somehow this time it was worse

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Alice hovered outside the door to the flat, she checked the address again and looked at the number on the door. Taking a deep breath she raised her hand and tapped her knuckles on the door. A few moments later she heard movement in the building and then it swung open.

'Hello?' a dark haired woman answered the door.

'Mrs. Kathryn Watkins?' Alice asked nervously.

'Yes' she nodded and looked at Alice expectantly.

'I'm Alice…Alice Branning….your daughter' Alice said shifting anxiously from one foot to the other. She swallowed, maybe Joey was right…maybe she shouldn't have come here.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews….well I guess by the end of the chapter that you know it wasn't Alice that met Jake, so that only leaves Lucy and Joey…I wonder which one it is. And poor Lauren being embarrassed by Jack when she wanted to join the gym. On the plus side he's going to watch Jake now. Leave me a review. Back tomorrow.  
**


	89. Chapter 89

**Chapter Eighty-Eight**

It had been over an hour since Lauren had left the second voicemail for Joey, and she was beginning to get really worried about him. He was always good at calling her back or texting her if he wasn't able to talk but this time she'd heard nothing. To either of her messages. She began to grow increasingly concerned that perhaps somehow Jake had found out about the two of them and was taking out his anger on Joey. The longer he didn't contact her the more anxious and scared she got.

She glanced at the clock it was nearly 11:00am. She picked up her phone and stared at it, as if she was willing it to ring. Pushing it into her pocket, she grabbed her keys and headed out of the house. As she searched for Joey her worry escalated. He wasn't with Max or Derek, nor was he at the flat, the club, the café or the park. Next Lauren headed to the boxing gym, Jack was still there.

'Jack?' she called his name and he looked up at her 'have you seen Joey?' she asked him.

'No' he shook his head. Lauren sighed closing, her eyes and rubbing her forehead.

'If you see him, will you tell him I need to see him?' Lauren asked him, Jack frowned and nodded his head.

'Of course…Lauren, is everything okay?' he asked her seeing how fraught she looked.

'Yes…I just need to find Joey' she told him. Jack pulled out his phone as she fled up the stairs and he dialed his nephew's number but got no reply..

Lauren checked with Derek and Max again before heading back to the square. She stood in the middle of the square, turning in a circle as she looked for him. Her eyes settled on the Vic. She pushed open the double doors as she went inside. The pub was busy, Lauren's eyes moved through the crowd of faces checking to see if Joey was there. She felt her heart sink as she realised he wasn't. Her heart was racing in her chest, she could hear a wooshing sound in her ears and she felt light headed and dizzy. She staggered outside and sat down on one of the benches outside the pub, taking in huge lungfuls of air. She began to think the worst.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Alice's head was reeling as she took in the things her mother had said to her. She was heading back to the Square with her tail firmly between her legs. She knew that if she told Joey where she'd been he would be furious with her and he'd also tell her that he "told her so" and it made her tears fall harder. She knew she couldn't go back home looking like this or someone would know something was wrong and she really didn't want to have to explain things. She'd been so pleased with herself for finding her mother, for tracking her down. Yes, she felt guilty for keeping it from her father, but after she'd broached the idea with Joey and dealt with his reaction she was too scared to even attempt to speak to her dad about it. She sat down on a low wall just outside the tube station and cried.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey pushed himself to his feet and picked up his phone. He had two missed calls from Lauren. He listened to his voicemails, she sounded upset. He closed his eyes. He didn't know how he was going to face her after the last couple of hours. He just needed to get home without anyone seeing him. He needed some time to himself as he tried to process what had happened. He dialed Sharon's number.

'Hello Joey darling' she answered chirpily.

'Sharon, I'm really sorry, I'm not feeling well so I'm not going to be able to make it in to work tonight' he told her quietly.

Sharon frowned at the tone of his voice 'Oh, okay…is there anything I can do?' she asked him.

'No' he said, his voice breaking slightly, 'I just need…I just need a couple of days'

'Okay, darling' she said 'you know where I am if you need anything'

'Thanks' Joey said disconnecting the call.

He hated lying to his aunt but it wasn't as though he could tell her truth, like he could tell anyone the truth. He frowned, pushing his hands into his pockets and heading home.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Sharon blinked, that didn't sound like Joey. He sounded different on the phone, upset. She grew concerned something was wrong, he'd never phoned in sick before the whole time he'd been working there. She decided she would speak to Jack about it when they got home. She sighed and decided to go to the Vic for lunch. As she locked the door she turned and saw Alice walking past her, 'Alice?' she called out after her, Alice kept her head down and ignored her. Sharon shrugged and walked into the Vic, bumping into Lauren. 'Oops, sorry darling' Sharon smiled at her.

'Sorry' Lauren whispered 'it was my fault'

Sharon looked at Lauren, she looked pale and upset 'Is everything okay?'

'Mmhmm' Lauren nodded her head 'I'm fine' she told her 'have you seen Joey?'

'No, I've just had a phone call from him though, he's not feeling well…so it will be you and me tonight at the club'

'What about Ricky?' Lauren asked her with a frown.

'He's got the next couple of nights off' she said softly.

'Oh…okay' Lauren nodded, pulling her phone out of her pocket 'I'll see you tonight, I have to go' she said softly. She walked away from her, dialing Joey's number as she went.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey looked at the phone, seeing Lauren's name flashing up on the screen. He closed his eyes as he pressed ignore. He turned the phone off and pushed it back into his pocket with a sigh.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

'Lucy!' she heard her name being called out 'Lucy!' she turned to see her brother running towards her 'I called you earlier'

'Sorry I was in a meeting' she said quietly 'it didn't go the way I thought…I just wanted to lick my wounds for a while before I came home' she explained to him.

'Dad wants us to have a family dinner tonight' he told her 'He wants to talk about moving again'

Lucy rolled her eyes as the two of them walked towards their house 'I thought he'd got this idea out of his head' she said with a sigh.

'Me too, but apparently not' Peter said. 'You're still against the idea though right? So you'll back me up?'

'Yeah, course' she nodded her head as they walked through the gate. Lucy shut it behind her, closing her eyes. After the morning she'd had the last thing she wanted was to have a family dinner.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey saw Lauren sitting on the benches in the gardens as he crossed through them to get to the flat. She was staring into space, her phone gripped tightly in her hand. He couldn't handle seeing her right now. He needed time to think about what had happened and what he was going to do about it. If he was going to do anything about it. He slowly backed out of the gardens and started to walk back the way he came.

Lauren glanced up at his flat and to her surprise saw him unlocking the door. 'Joey!' she called out. He pretended her didn't hear her. She practically leapt off the bench and ran through the gardens. 'Joey!' she called out again. He hurriedly got inside and ran up the stairs and into the flat.

He stripped off his clothes and started the shower going, stepping under the hot water, he pressed his hands against the cold tiles and let the water run over his body.

Lauren tried to unlock the flat to get it but even though she unlocked the doors she couldn't get inside. Joey must have double locked the door. He didn't want to see her. He didn't want her anymore. That explained why he wasn't answering his phone or returning her calls. She took the keys out of the door and pushed them through his letterbox. She walked down the stairs and out of the bottom door and headed home.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. So does this chapter make anything clearer for you all? Poor Lauren she's searching high and low for Joey but he's nowhere to be found! Where is he? Next chapter will be posted tomorrow. xx**


	90. Chapter 90

**Chapter Eighty-Nine**

Jake locked up the restaurant with a grin on his face. He walked back to the house. One down one to go, he thought to himself. He was going to enjoy putting Lauren back in her place too. Lauren heard the front door open and then slam shut followed by footsteps coming into the kitchen. 'Haven't you done the housework?' he asked her with a frown as he walked into the room 'this place is like a fucking shit-hole' he ran his fingers over the work surface, glancing down at the imaginary dust.

'I've just got back from the launderette' she lied.

'Are you answering me back?' he yelled at her, rushing forwards and slamming her against the fridge.

'No' she shook her head.

'I didn't ask where you'd been I asked you why you hadn't done the fucking housework?' he growled at her.

'I was just about to do it' she said to him, unable to hide the quiver of fear from her voice. Jake could see the fear in her eyes and he reveled in it, he loved the power and control it gave him.

'Make sure you do. I want it done by the time I get back tonight' he told her. 'I going to go take a shower' he told her 'and then I'm going to go meet up with Joey' he said letting her go.

'You're going out with Joey tonight?' she asked him.

'What's it to you?' he frowned at her.

'Nothing…just…Sharon told me Joey called in sick and…'

'Since when is Joey's business any of yours?' Jake glared at her angrily.

'It's not I…I just…' she licked her lips.

'If you must know Joey and I met the most gorgeous pair of twins a couple of nights ago...apparently they've been coming to the club for a few months now. You've probably served them once or twice. Well Joey and I had a great night with these two gorgeous girls while you were at your mothers and we met up with them again this morning' Jake told her with a smile.

Inwardly, Lauren felt her heart breaking but outside she showed nothing. 'You're openly admitting that you're cheating on me?' she frowned at him.

'I've been cheating on you throughout our whole marriage' he told her with pride 'even before we were married' Jake said to her. 'I've even slept with Lucy Beale, on Joey's recommendation. He said she wasn't that great in bed but she's better than you by miles' he told her. He saw the flash of hurt that crossed her face and he smiled at her 'I don't even know why I'm bothering to talk to you ….just clean the fucking house'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

After Jake had left, Lauren sat on the sofa, tears streaming down her face as she contemplated life without Joey. She knew she was being stupid. When they first started this, they'd agreed it was just a bit of fun that it was nothing serious. Joey didn't want commitment, he didn't want to be tied down...even though, at times, his actions said something different. He'd promised her he wasn't sleeping with anyone else…but men lied. Men cheated. Lauren knew that from experience. Jake lied, Jake cheated. Jake hurt her. But everything Jake had done to her both physically and mentally didn't compare to the pain she was feeling now. She felt as though her heart had been ripped out of her chest and shredded into a million little pieces.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey got out of the shower. A towel wrapped around his waist. He was using another one to towel dry his hair as he walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. He made himself a coffee, taking it into the lounge. He saw something on the floor by the door. He walked over to the door with a frown, bending down and scooping up the spare set of keys. The set he'd given to Lauren. He wondered why she'd put them through the door. From the sound of her voicemails she seemed to be worried about him, as well as angry with Jake. He hoped she hadn't figured out he was ignoring her…he just needed to think things through. He needed some time to figure out what he was going to tell her about where'd he'd been that morning, If he was going to tell her the truth or not. He sighed walking back to the sofa and sitting down. Running through what he was going to tell her in his head. How he was going to tell her that he had tried to get her some help but had failed miserably.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren went to work that night, but she was going through the motions. Her heart and mind weren't on the job. Sharon noticed and tried to talk to her but Lauren refused to tell her what was bothering her, she just told Sharon she was feeling tired from her trip and feeling a little run down. Sharon let her go when the club closed telling her she could clear up herself. Lauren nodded and left.

She headed towards her house, pausing when she got to the front door. She really didn't want to go inside. She turned and headed for the alleyway that would lead her to the park. When she got there, someone was already sitting on one of the swings. She paused, staring into the darkness to see who it was. It was Lucy Beale. Lauren frowned but stepped forward. She hadn't really talked to Lucy all that much, truth be told she didn't really like her, especially after she learnt she was sleeping with her husband. But she looked upset and if she was here crying, then maybe she didn't have anyone to talk to about it. Lauren sat down on the second swing.

'Hi' she said softly. Lucy looked up at her in surprise. Lauren saw her red rimmed eyes and knew she'd be crying. 'Are you okay? Do you want me to call someone?' she asked her.

Lucy frowned shaking her head 'no' she told her.

'Is it okay if I sit here?' Lauren asked her

'It's a free country' Lucy replied.

The two girls sat in silence. Both of them unaware that they were thinking about the same thing. How to make Jake pay for what he'd done to them. And how angry they were at Joey, albeit for two very different reasons.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** Next chapter will be up tomorrow. **


	91. Chapter 91

**Chapter Ninety**

The next day, Joey had made a decision. He was going to tell Lauren the truth. He dialed her number and left a voicemail on her phone and also texted her for good measure. He'd asked her to meet him at the flat at 11:00am, telling her there was something important he needed to talk to her about and it couldn't wait. He hoped she wouldn't be too upset by his news, or his admission to where he'd been yesterday morning when he said he was going to be home.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Lauren sat in the café nursing a cup of coffee and a bagel. The bagel remained on the plate untouched. Lauren was staring into her coffee cup, deep in thought. She read the text and listened to the voicemail from Joey and was debating whether or not she was going to go and let him lie to her face. Something wet fell on her hand and she realised she was crying. Reaching for a napkin she dabbed at her cheeks and her nose. She glanced around the café to see if anyone was looking at her. She saw Lucy staring at her with a strange expression on her face. Lauren glared at her and got up, knocking the cup of coffee over in her haste to leave the café. She crossed through the square and looked up at Joey's flat. After a couple of hours toing and froing about going to see him or not her decision was made.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey waited for Lauren in the flat for over an hour after the time he'd asked her to meet him. He was concerned she hadn't arrived. He got up and grabbed his keys, heading out to look for her. He'd tried calling her on the phone he'd given her, but it was switched off. He didn't know if it was switched off because she was with Jake or because she was upset with him for not calling her back yesterday. And that was one of the things he was going to explain to her when she came over today. He looked around and saw Jake coming out of the house, the coast was clear, he could go over and see Lauren. Joey headed towards the house and walked up the path, he raised his hand to know when he heard someone behind him. Jake had come back. 'Oh hey…' Joey said 'I was coming to see you. Are you coming or going?'

'Going. There's a problem at the restaurant. One of the chef's called in sick so I have to cover. I've left the restaurant keys inside' he said as he unlocked the door 'what's up?'

'I just wondered if you wanted to get a beer but now I know you're busy…I'll see if Uncle Jack is around' he said as Jake stepped inside the house and grabbed the keys off the side before shutting and locking the door again.

'Yeah sorry mate, some other time' Jake said and he hurried off.

Joey sighed, it didn't look as though Lauren was in the house. He wondered where she could be.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren took a deep breath as she stepped into the Police Station. She had no idea how she ended up here. She'd gone for a walk to clear her head and had planned to go the park by the school but somehow she'd ended up here. She looked around, the place seemed smaller from the outside and now she was inside she felt a little overwhelmed and turned to go.

'Can I help you Miss?' a deep voiced male spoke to her. She spun round and stared at him. 'Can I help you?' he repeated the question. Lauren felt her hands shaking as she walked to the counter.

'I…I wanted to speak someone…about domestic abuse' she said in a quiet voice.

'Are you here to press charges?' he asked her.

'Yes' the word was out of her mouth before she could stop it 'no!' she said quickly shaking her head 'I…I don't know' she frowned as all her courage drained out of her 'I'm…I'm sorry I shouldn't have come' she told him and she turned to go.

The Policeman behind the counter had seen women like her before. He grabbed a couple of leaflets and held them out to her 'why don't you read these' he told her kindly 'maybe these will help you make up your mind' Lauren took the leaflets from him 'we can't press charges if you don't help us' he told her softly. Lauren nodded, lowering her gaze to look at the leaflets he'd given her. 'Domestic violence isn't just about physical abuse, it's about emotional and psychological abuse too' he told her. 'In most cases it's one or the other. We don't see many cases of both' Lauren nodded her head 'what does your…partner do?' he asked her, hoping he could coax her to stay.

'Both' Lauren said quietly 'thank you for these but I can't take them home…'

'So you read them outside, throw them in the trash, or pass them on to someone else who you know might benefit from reading them'

'Thank you' Lauren said again and she turned and walked out.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren pulled the leaflets out of her handbag and looked at them. She started to read the first page when she felt someone walk up behind her 'what are you reading?' Joey's voice asked he, making her jump and look up at him.

'It's none of your business' she snapped at him, throwing the leaflets into her locker, tossing her handbag on top of them and slamming the locker door shut. Joey swallowed, he'd been right, she was upset with him.

'I can explain about yesterday' he told her softly 'there was somewhere I had to be'

Lauren sighed and turned around to look at him 'You can save your excuses, Joey. Jake's explained everything' she told him anger flashing in her eyes.

'Jake?' Joey frowned at her 'what are you talking about?' he asked her 'what's Jake got to do with this?' he took a step closer to her.

'Don't' Lauren held up her hand 'I don't want to hear it' she said to him 'you could at least respect me enough not to stand there and lie to my face' she frowned at him 'I am such an idiot, just like Jake told me time and time again. Why would I have thought you'd be interested in me…?' She trailed off and looked down 'well I guess that's my fault…I knew what you were before I got involved with you…you just can't help yourself can you Joey?' she snapped at him, 'you're never going to change. You're just going continue to screw any pretty girl…well I guess you just felt like slumming it with me for a while hey?'

'What are you talking about?' Joey asked her 'I'm not slumming it with you and I'm not screwing around…'

'I can't believe you're going to stand there and lie to me. Jake has told me all about it. The dates you two went on together…the girls you slept with…the foursome you had… while I was away and yesterday morning…I trusted you. I believed you' she said 'well I guess the only person to blame here is me' she laughed bitterly. She tossed the phone Joey had given onto the sofa. 'Well not anymore. I'm done being your plaything' she said and walked out of the room and went behind the bar. Joey picked up the phone and put it in his locker. He wondered what the hell Jake had been saying to Lauren. He had to get her to listen to him, he was sure once she gave him a chance, once she heard him out she'd realise that Jake was the one lying to her not him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

He tried on several occasions as the night wore on to talk to her but Lauren rebuffed him at every turn. Things took a definite turn for the worse when Lucy came in. Lauren had gone over to serve her and Joey was close enough to hear what was being said. 'What can I get you, Lucy?' Lauren asked her.

'Double vodka and coke please' Lucy said.

Lauren made her drink and put it down on the bar 'anything else?'

'No thank you' Lucy said holding out her money.

'Are you sure?' Lauren asked her.

'Yes, I'm sure, just this' she insisted.

Lauren snatched the money out of her hand and rang up the drink. She returned to the bar and Lucy held her hand open for the change, Lauren slammed it down on the bar. Lucy frowned and started to pick it up, Lauren grabbed her wrist and squeezed tightly 'you think I don't know you've been screwing my husband?' she hissed at her. 'You think I don't know about your sordid little nights with him, all arranged by Joey? Do you think you're a big girl hey? Fooling around with a married man? You better watch out Lucy, you may think you're having the time of your life but sooner or later he is going to show his true colours. You're not the only girl he's been screwing around with. If I were you I'd go and get tested for STI's.' Lauren told her letting her wrist go.

Lucy's panicked eyes shot to Joey's, she downed her drink in one as Joey moved forward. 'She knows…' she whispered to him 'she knows I slept with Jake, she knows you arranged it' Joey glanced at Lauren, seeing her staring at both of them. 'She said he would show his true colours….he did…he…he raped me…' Lucy said, Joey's head shot round to look at Lucy in shock.

'He did what?' Joey whispered ashen faced.

Lauren watched as Joey lavished attention onto Lucy after she pretended to be upset about Lauren knowing about her and Jake. She was surprised to see Joey walk out from behind the bar and put his arm around Lucy and lead her to a table, their heads were close together as they talked. Lauren had had enough. She glanced at the clock, it was almost midnight, she turned to Ricky 'I have a headache, I'm going to head off early she told him, walking away from him before he could answer.

When Joey came back an hour later he noticed Lauren had gone. He frowned 'where's Lauren?' he asked Ricky.

'She said she had a headache and she was going home' he told him.

Joey frowned. She needed to know what Jake had done to Lucy. She needed to leave Jake now. For good. Before he did the same to her, or worse. He had to get her to listen to him now before it was too late.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews. So now we all know who Jake has attacked and we also know Lauren and Joey have broken up because once again Lauren has believed the lies Jake has told her. Lets just hope that Joey can make her listen to him so he can explain things to her. Next chapter will be posted tomorrow x **


	92. Chapter 92

**Chapter Ninety One**

Over the next couple of days Joey tried to talk to Lauren on several occasions. He visited the house, tried to talk to her at the club. He spotted her outside the Vic and he grabbed her wrist and dragged her down the alleyway.

'You have to listen to me' He told her, his eyes burning with anger.

'I don't have to do anything' Lauren shook her head, pulling her arm out of his hand rubbing the skin as though his touch had burnt her.

'Baby, please…I don't know what Jake has been telling you…he's been filling your head with lies' he told her.

'No' Lauren shook her head 'the only person who has been filling my head with lies is you' she bit back angrily 'Jake has been the only person who has been honest…' she told him angrily 'he told me I was worthless and useless. He told me I was ugly and unsexy…and that no man in their right mind would want to be with me. He was right…'

'No' Joey frowned at her He's brainwashed you…he's brainwashed you against me' Joey told her.

'No' Lauren snapped at him, shaking her head, 'you were the one that brainwashed me…you made me want things I had no right to want…you made me feel…' she trailed off and looked down as she felt a wave of pain at the emotions he'd brought out in her when they were together. 'You took advantage of me, of the situation…'

Joey blinked at her 'I didn't take advantage of you. You wanted it as much as I did' he frowned at her, feeling his own anger rising.

'I was vulnerable, scared…you used how I was feeling against me just so you could have another notch on your bedpost…' she spat at him angrily 'I knew it all along but I didn't really see it…you were the one who had a bet with your friend over who could fuck me first' she told him with a frown 'that's all this was to you a bet. . I'm done being used, being treated like a toy you can play with and then thrown away when you're done' she shook her head 'stay away from me, Joey' she spat at him angrily.

'I wasn't using you. Lauren please, you need to listen to me, you need to let me explain' Joey pleaded with her.

'No. I don't' she shook her head 'it's over' she told him and she turned and ran out of the alleyway.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey was furious with Lauren. She wouldn't even talk to him, listen to what he had to say. He didn't know what Jake had told her but it was clear she wasn't going to give him a chance to set the story straight. He'd thought what they had was special. That it meant something to both of them, clearly he'd been wrong.

Well if she didn't want him anymore there were plenty of other girls that did. A couple of them had flirted with him tonight, he'd brushed them off at first, hoping to be able to talk to Lauren, to get her to listen to him, but like she had every other time he'd tried to talk to her she'd told him in no uncertain terms she wasn't interested in anything he had to say and she'd walked away from him. To make things even more difficult, over the past week, Jake had become a nightly visitor to the club and he'd stayed until the club closed and then Lauren had gone home with him. She never stayed to clean up the club anymore, not when Joey was on shift anyway. Joey wasn't going home alone tonight that was for certain. He left the club a few minutes before closing, his arm slung around a redhead' shoulders and glanced back at Lauren to see if she was watching him. He felt angry when he realised she wasn't.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Ricky could see Lauren looked tired and she was pale. 'Why don't you go home, hey, I'll clean up here tonight' he told her.

'Are you sure?' she looked at him, hoping he wasn't going to change his mind.

'Yes. Go. See you tomorrow' he told her bumping her shoulder with his. Lauren smiled at him, her first genuine smile in a week.

'Thanks' she said softly. Fifteen minutes later she was walking home. She crossed the road at the market, deciding to take the long way home, needing some time to herself. She could hear laughing as she rounded the corner that would take her past the car lot. Glancing at Joey's flat she saw two figures outside. She knew one of them was Joey. The laughing stopped as he pressed the second figure up against the door and started to kiss her. Tears sprang to Lauren's eyes as she watched him with another girl. Her heart breaking even more than it already was. Averting her eyes she headed for her house. She unlocked the door and stepped inside forcing herself not to glance up at Joey's flat. If she had she would've seen Joey's eyes fixed on her as the redhead stroked him through his jeans.

Lauren walked into the lounge and sat down on the sofa, pulling the blanket off the back, she wrapped it around her as she lay down. The tears came once more and she sobbed brokenly into the back of the sofa.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey groaned as the redhead, whose name he didn't even bother to ask for, wrapped her mouth around his cock and started to suck hard. His hands tangled into her hair and he thrust his hips forward, forcing her to take him deeper in her throat. She gagged a little at first but then her movements became more synchronized. He could feel himself already on the edge of his climax. He decided he didn't want her to swallow. She seemed to be enjoying giving him a blow job, but that wasn't what this was about. This was about his gratification. He wasn't here to try to please her. Just as he was about to fill her throat with his hot seed, he pulled sharply on her hair, her lips releasing him and he pulled himself free of her mouth and his length pulsed, shooting his seed all over her face. She gasped in surprise at his actions.

Joey smiled as he felt his orgasm fade. That was all he wanted tonight, he didn't want to fuck her. No, he wanted to humiliate her, just like Lauren had humiliated him. The redhead looked up at him.

'You can go now' he told her simply as he headed towards the bathroom and started the shower.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews and the lovely comments you made about this story and the other stories I have written. They really mean a lot. Poor Joey, Lauren won't listen to him, or even give him a chance to explain…in her head everything makes sense. She was just a bet. She's nothing special… They're bother hurting right now and Joey's reverting to type. Trying to make Lauren jealous and getting pissed off with her when he gets no reaction when in reality she's just good at hiding her emotions…Looks like The Bad Boy is back! Back later with another chapter xx **


	93. Chapter 93

**Chapter Ninety-Two**

Over the next week Joey took a different girl home every night. He flirted with them right under Lauren's nose, sometimes even within earshot but he got no reaction from her at all, which pissed him off no end. What he didn't know was that when Lauren finished her shift at the club and went home she was crying herself to sleep every night over his deliberately spiteful and hurtful actions.

When Lauren came into work on the Friday, Joey noticed she looked paler than normal. As she worked she favoured her right hand instead of her usual left. She looked as though she was in a lot of pain. A concern he had confirmed when he saw her taking a pain killer during her break.

'What's he done now?' Joey asked her closing the staffroom door so they were alone in the room.

'What do you care?' she snapped at him, putting her pills back in the locker and closing it.

'I care, Lauren' he told her 'You need to leave him, you know that'

'All I know is that I've asked you to leave me alone, on numerous occasions. I have nothing more to say to you and there's nothing I want to hear you say. Mind your own business and stay out of my marriage' she hissed at him 'now move out of my way' she said as she crossed the room towards the door. Joey stepped out of her way and let her leave, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Tonight's conquest was called was Nicola, she wasn't even that attractive but right now Joey didn't care about that. He was just using her so if he was honest it didn't really matter to him much what she looked like, as long as she had all the necessary orifices that was all that mattered. Nicola was currently tied to his bed by her wrists, face down with a gag in place as he took her from behind, pounding into her at a relentless pace. He was pretty sure this was more than she bargained for when she agreed to come home with him tonight. Still she was getting the job done so it was worth his time and effort. His fingers bit into her hips painfully as he pulled her back against his forward thrust. He felt his release approaching fast and when he felt the tingle in his balls he withdrew, ripped off the condom and came all over her back with a fierce cry.

After she'd dressed and left, Joey stepped into the shower, washing her off his skin. One hand was bracing his weight on the back of the shower whilst his other hand was working hard on his cock. His eyes were tightly shut and he imagined it was Lauren's hand that was tightly gripped around his length, or he was encased in her exquisite mouth. He remembered the first time she'd given him a blow job, her very first blow job. She'd tentatively sat between his naked thighs as she looked at his cock, which seemed to grow bigger and harder under her gaze. She'd made him close his eyes. She didn't want him watching her as she did what she was about to do. Joey wanted to watch but closed his eyes just as Lauren asked him to. He knew she didn't have a clue what to do and he wasn't going to force her to do anything she wasn't sure of, but then he'd felt the tiniest of touches as her tongue tasted the head of his cock. He opened his eyes then and saw her head was down and he watched her every movement. She did it again and he almost came on the spot.

'Babe, please…you're killing me here' he whispered pleading with her. Her eyes looked up at him meeting and holding his as her little pink tongue darted out to lick the tip once more, Joey groaned and she slowly took the head into her mouth. 'Just like that, babe' Joey encouraged her, 'now suck…' she did as she asked, soft gentle sucks that drove him crazy 'that's it…take more of me…suck a bit harder…' he instructed her.

Soon her head was bobbing up and down on him and she was sucking him like she'd been giving head for years rather than just a few minutes. It was when she used her teeth on him that was his undoing. He'd tried to warn her he was about to come but she shook her head gently and swallowed mouthful after mouthful of his hot cum as he pulsed into her mouth.

Joey twisted his hand on his cock as he stroked himself and shortly afterwards his seed was mingled with the water and being washed down the plughole.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Three days later Lauren came into work with a cut just under her eye and a bruise on her cheek. She told everyone she bent down and hit her face on an open cupboard door, and that she was still as clumsy as ever. Everyone seemed to believe her story, but not Joey. He knew what had really happened. Jake was getting friendly with his fists again. And he also knew that she more than likely had more cuts and bruises she was hiding under her clothes.

He had to make her see sense, he needed to make her listen to him. For her sake, before Jake went too far. Before Jake really hurt her… or worse. This time she was going to hear him out, whether she liked it or not. He'd been waiting for his chance all night, but the club was busier than normal. He was worried he wouldn't get a moment to talk to her…until he saw her going down into the basement.

Ricky saw Lauren go down to get some more mixers and a few seconds later he saw Joey follow. He knew something had happened between the two of them. They used to be the best of friends and now Lauren acted as though she couldn't stand to be in the same room as him. She avoided him at all costs. The only thing Ricky could think of that would make Lauren act that way was that Joey had slept with her and then treated her like shit the next day. He'd seen it countless times with girls Joey had screwed in the club, not to mention a few of the female bar staff they'd had. He hoped he was wrong, but he had a gut feeling he wasn't.

Five minutes after Joey had followed Lauren down into the cellar Lauren came back up. She looked furious. She stormed into the staffroom and exited a few minutes later with her things and walked out of the club without a word to Ricky. When Joey returned he had a face like thunder and a red hand print on his right cheek. Ricky shook his head. He knew it. He was right. Joey had slept with Lauren. He sighed and shook his head. Well this was Joey's mess and he was going to have to sort it out himself, preferably before Sharon found out.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

As Joey worked the rest of his shift he mulled over the argument he'd had in the basement with Lauren. Where he'd again tried to show his concern for her wellbeing. Where he tried to make her see she needed to leave Jake sooner rather than later. He was expecting her to be a little angry with him but he hadn't expected her reaction. She'd completely flipped out at him. He'd seen her angry before but not this angry. She was literally shaking with rage. Hot angry tears were rolling down her cheeks. She'd called him a slut, a tart and a whore, words which weren't really used as an insult for a man but they'd stung nonetheless, especially coming from her. She'd told him out of everything she'd done in her life _he_ was her biggest regret, her biggest mistake. She'd told him that she wished she'd never moved to Walford, she wished she'd never laid eyes on him. Then she threw him a curveball. They were leaving Walford. Jake was selling the house. They were moving back to Bexley. Joey had grabbed her at this point and he was shaking her, trying to literally shake some sense into her. He'd told her Jake was a dangerous man, that one day he was going to go too far with his fists. He told her one day he was going to kill her. Lauren had replied with one simple word. A word that left him reeling. She'd said "good." They'd stared at each other for a long time, the only sound in the room was being the sound of their breathing and then for some inexplicable reason Joey had tried to kiss her, which resulted with him being pushed roughly away and slapped hard across the face. Lauren had then fled the basement….it wasn't until he came back up with the mixers he'd learnt she'd also fled the club, fled him. Well, he was done trying to help her, done trying to explain things to her, he was done caring. She wanted to be with Jake then so be it. Who was he to try and interfere? Let Jake kill her, see if he cared.

He was washing his hands of her.

He was done with her.

For good.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. Poor Joey he was still trying in this chapter, especially seeing as though Lauren is sporting more cuts and bruises...but you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. And Ricky has finally figured things out…although he thinks it was just a one-time thing! But now Joey's washing his hands of Lauren and sleeping with anything that moves now too! Leave me a review and if you are lucky you might get another chapter tonight xxx **


	94. Chapter 94

**Chapter Ninety-Three**

Over the next seven days, Joey's nocturnal activities resumed to how they'd been before Lauren arrived in Walford. Monday night he fucked a blonde in the alley behind the club during his break and went home with another blonde after his shift.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Tuesday night he had 2 more blondes, taking them both back to his flat halfway through his shift leaving Lauren and Ricky to cover.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Wednesday he came into work late, looking tired. His neck was also covered in love bites. One look at him and Lauren felt physically sick, knowing what he'd been doing. Joey had brought her a drink and carried it round to the end of the bar and the two of them had disappeared into the staffroom, his arm around her shoulders. When they came out half an hour later it was clear to Lauren, because of their disheveled state exactly what had happened in that staffroom and she'd had to fight back the tears as she watched the two of them together. She had no idea Joey could be this cruel.

Ricky was worried about Lauren, she looked very pale and her skin was clammy. He sat her down at the back of the bar and produced some water with a lemon slice for her to drink. He wrapped some ice in a bar towel and pressed it to the back of her neck in an attempt to make her feel better. An hour later, Ricky sent her home after she nearly fainted when she stood up again after bending down to pick up a glass. When Joey found out what Ricky had done he was furious. He reminded Ricky he was the manager of the bar and he said who could and couldn't go home and he didn't care if Lauren was coughing up blood, if she was still standing on two feet then she was able to work.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Thursday through to Saturday night, Lauren worked one end of the bar, Ricky worked in the middle and Joey worked the other end. This arrangement seemed to work just fine with the three of them. Joey and Lauren didn't have to talk to each other, look at each other or be closer than 3 feet at any time during the night. Joey of course, true to form left with a different girl every night. Ricky noted he stayed away from brunettes, which only fuelled his idea this whole thing was fallout from Joey sleeping with Lauren.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Sunday was the Branning clan dinner in the Vic. Absent from the group was Lauren. She was sat at a table with Jake. Previous to their breakup, there would be a smile or a glance or two between Lauren and Joey but tonight there was none. In fact Joey had swapped seats with his sister so he didn't have to face Lauren, something which Lauren didn't miss and it made her feel angry as well as upset. Jack wasn't the only one who'd noticed the difference in Lauren and Joey. Sharon and Derek had too. Joey had returned to form and Lauren…it was like the light had gone out of her eyes, like she'd given up hope. Jack could only assume their relationship had fizzled out. He wondered why and who had ended it, because looking at both of them neither of them looked happy about it.

Jake reached across the table and took Lauren's wrist in his hand and Jack saw her body language change. She tensed up immediately, a grimace crossing her face and she shook her head. As soon as Jake let her go she picked up her fork and started eating.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Monday Lauren didn't come into the club, she had called Sharon and booked a last minute night off. This pissed Joey off as it meant he was going to have work all of his shift and he had plans. Unfortunately for Ricky, this meant he got the brunt of Joey's anger for the evening.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Tuesday night Joey took home a brunette. The first since Lauren. Lauren had been surprised when she'd served the girl, it was like looking in a mirror almost. The only difference was the colour of her eyes. Lauren's eyes were dark brown but this girls were a piercing shade of green, speckled with a few slivers of hazel. Lauren later learned her name was Rebecca as she walked past Joey when he was in full flirt mode.

Rebecca loitered behind after the club had closed and Joey had taken her hand and led her up the stairs and out of the club. Lauren couldn't help the tears that fell as she was busy cleaning up, she tried to hide them from Ricky, but he'd seen them and felt sorry for her. Joey was obviously flaunting his conquests in her face and it had to hurt. Judging by her reaction tonight it was hurting a lot. Ricky wanted to go over to the flat and grab Joey by the scruff of his neck and drag him back to the bar and show him what he was doing to Lauren. Maybe even bang their heads together, sit them down and get them to talk through whatever the Hell their issues were. Although Ricky knew the biggest issue would be Lauren's husband, Jake.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

'This is a nice flat' Rebecca said as Joey let her inside.

'I like it' Joey nodded his head as he locked the door. He put his keys in the dish by the door and shrugged off his jacket, turning to look at her. She was the spitting image of Lauren, except for her eyes. Her eyes were beautiful. Not that Lauren's eyes weren't beautiful. But Rebecca's eyes…Joey had seen nothing like them before. And they were the reason she was here tonight, because of her eyes. It had nothing to do with the fact she was the spitting image of Lauren, or so he kept telling himself anyway. He crossed the room and took her hand, leading her into his bedroom. She looked at him with a nervous anticipation in her eyes, the same look Lauren had…used to have.

He licked his lips, brushing his hand across her cheek and under her hair to cradle the back of her head, 'you are so beautiful' he whispered to her. He was rewarded with a blush, much like Lauren's reaction whenever he paid her a compliment. 'Do you have to be anywhere tonight?' he asked her. Rebecca shook her head, biting her bottom lip gently. 'Good' Joey replied as he drew her into a soft sensual kiss. He took his time stripping off his clothes and hers. He wanted to make this last. He wanted to pretend that the girl lying beside him in her underwear was Lauren. He didn't want to fuck her…he wanted to make love to her.

He kissed every single piece of her flesh that was bared to his gaze. He worshipped her until she was trembling and begging him for more. He removed the remaining barriers of clothing between them and looked at her naked body. She wasn't Lauren, but she was pretty damn close. He bent his head and took a nipple into his mouth, sucking the peak between his lips gently as his other hand moved to delve between her legs. She jumped slightly at the unexpected touch and he smiled against her breast. He could already feel himself hardening against her thigh. He turned his attention to her other breast and he carefully eased two fingers inside her. She was wet and ready for him, but he wasn't quite ready for this night to be over. He trailed his lips lower, kissing a trail over her sternum, past her bellybutton. He pressed a kiss to her pubic bone and then moved lower, she gasped and her back arched off the bed at the first touch of his lips between her thighs. He licked the length of her and then with his fingers he parted her lips until her clit was removed from its hiding place. He tapped it with his tongue and she groaned loudly. Joey inserted a third finger and then a fourth as his mouth closed over her clit, he sucked the little nub hard, then he bit down gently, Rebecca screamed as she exploded into climax. Joey gently worked her through it until she was gasping for air. He slowly moved up her body, reaching into his bedside table and pulling out a packet of condoms, shaking the box he discovered it was empty. He didn't have any more and he certainly wasn't go to pass up this opportunity. He moved back towards Rebecca and kissed her hungrily. When he sank inside her, her eyes rolled back into her head. He began a slow steady rhythm, his mouth moved to her ear and he told her how good she felt, how tight, how wet she was. He told her that she was made for him and no one else. He asked her why he wouldn't let her explain things to her, asked her why she pushed him away. Rebecca knew he wasn't really in the room with her, it may be her body he was currently inside but in his mind he was with someone else. If she had to guess she would say the brunette behind the bar, the one who'd served her. The one she looked like. She knew she should be offended but the feelings he was evoking in her body were too damned good to be ignored or stopped. He was good in the sack that was for sure. He increased his pace slightly and angled her hips so he could move deeper within her, her second orgasm was barreling towards her fast, she cried out again when it hit her. Gripping his shoulders tightly, digging her fingernails into his flesh, he kept moving inside her and she felt a third orgasm building. Oh my, this boy was pretty amazing in bed, she amended to herself with a grin. She felt him stiffen suddenly and his thrusts increased in tempo, and then he was pulsing inside her, crying out her name over and over again…. if her name was Lauren that was. Tonight, however, she'd be whoever the Hell he wanted her to be if it meant that they got to do this again.

Joey rolled off her and gathered her close to him, kissing her forehead. His eyes fluttered shut 'I love you' he whispered into her hair.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Over the next two weeks, Joey and Rebecca were spending practically every night together. She'd become a regular face in the club and Joey spent most of his time flirting with her and kissing her when he was supposed to be working in the bar. To say Lauren was jealous was an understatement but she wasn't going to let Joey see how much his actions were hurting her. Ricky was impressed by Lauren's acting skills. Sharon and Jack were surprised to see Joey actually showing affection to a girl, let alone full blown PDA. For all who saw Joey with Rebecca, they made the assumption they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Derek was torn about it, on one hand he was pleased that Joey had finally been seen out in public with a girl more than once and that he seemed to be settling down a little. On the other hand she was tattooed and bore more than a passing resemblance to Lauren. He wondered if Joey was aware of that fact.

Ricky grew more and more furious with Joey as he paraded Rebecca in front of Lauren. He'd found Lauren crying in the staffroom on more than one occasion and he'd told her he would punch Joey in the face for her. She shook her head and told him that wouldn't solve anything. Joey was entitled to see whoever he wanted to and it had nothing to do with her anyway.

Things seemed to be going well for Joey and Rebecca until she arrived unannounced at the club one night. A night she'd told him she couldn't see him, and she discovered him down the alleyway beside the club with Lucy Beale. The two of them had a huge row and Joey told Rebecca the only reason he was with her was because she looked like someone else he couldn't have and she was the next best thing. He also told her that he'd been sleeping with other girls as well as her and she should've known better than to think he was the settling down to one girl type of guy. Rebecca then slapped Joey across the face and stormed off.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lucy Beale smiled to herself as she closed her bedroom door. Not only had Joey defended her when Rebecca called her a slut, but he had actively sought her out again after the row between him and Rebecca had ended. Joey turned up on her doorstep and apologised to her for the things Rebecca had said to her and about her. Lucy invited Joey in and they went up to her room and they talked. They'd had an actual conversation and Lucy knew this meant Joey was seeing her more as a girlfriend type and less as a "fuckbuddy". Joey then moved forward and stroked Lucy's cheek, telling her she was a pretty special girl and deserved to be with someone who would worship the ground that she walked on and how he wished he'd be lucky enough to be that guy. The kiss they'd shared had been the softest, most tender kiss she'd ever had. Joey had then made love to her. Slowly and tenderly, bringing her to two most intense climaxes before he found his own release. After he'd gone, Lucy realised they hadn't used protection. She wasn't on the pill and she knew the result of this union could mean she was pregnant. She smiled to herself again. She hoped she was. She could picture her future now as Mrs. Lucy Branning. And she picture her little son or daughter… a spitting image of Joey Branning.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well Uncle Jack seems to have worked out that Lauren and Joey have broken up and notices that neither of them are happy about it…Lauren's like a different girl and Joey's….well Joey's shagging his way through London! Uh-oh…Joey's not even bothering to use protection now either! What a silly boy he is….All he needs now is for someone to get pregnant….. back tomorrow. Leave me a review. **


	95. Chapter 95

**Chapter Ninety-Four**

In two different doctor's bathrooms across London, two very different girls were waiting for the results of pregnancy tests.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lucy couldn't contain her excitement at the prospect of being pregnant with Joey Branning's baby. In her head she'd already planned their wedding and how they'd decorate the baby's room and what the baby would be called. Sasha if it was a girl, Lucas if it was a boy. She grinned, Joey was going to be thrilled. She willed the result to be positive. As soon as the two red lines appeared she was planning on going to find Joey and breaking the good news to him. She peered at the little white stick to see if anything had started to appear yet, counting down the seconds until it was done.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Rebecca sat on the toilet seat as she waited for the five minutes to pass. She reread the instruction leaflet, making sure she understood what she was looking for on the white stick. Being pregnant wasn't something she was keen on. She was only 18 years old. And she was still living at home with her parents. They were going to hit the roof if she was pregnant. Her dad was going to kill Joey Branning for laying a hand on his daughter. Her dad was the vicar of her local church. In his eyes she was a good girl. He thought she was still a virgin. She'd made sure he thought those things about her. In fact she was a wild child who tried to act more grown up than she was. She always made sure she looked and acted a lot older than her age when she went out. She could barely take care of herself let alone a baby. If she was pregnant she was going to go to Walford and find Joey and tell him she was pregnant. Hopefully he'd offer to pay for a termination and her problem would be solved. She peered at the little white stick to see if anything has started to appear yet. Who knew five minutes would take so long to pass.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Five minutes later and two tests were ready. Both girls looked at their respective tests, a mixture of emotions filling them all.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey was behind the bar finishing off bottling up when he heard someone coming down the stairs. He frowned, he'd obviously forgotten to close the door behind him again after he'd signed for the delivery earlier. 'We're closed' he yelled out, but the footsteps still came.

'It's me' a quiet but familiar voice said. Joey looked up in surprise, she was the last person he expected to see, the last person he wanted to see if he was being honest. He had nothing to say to her.

'What are you doing here?' he snapped at her angrily.

'I need to tell you something' she said with a shaky voice.

'Yeah, well... I don't need to talk to you so why don't you just piss off and go home' he snapped at her.

'Look there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to come out and say it…..I…' she trailed off.

Joey looked at her. He thought it was possible she'd been crying and she looked tired, even though she'd tried to cover up the dark circles under her eyes with make-up. He felt guilty suddenly, which then made him angry. Why should he feel guilty? She knew what she was getting into. He didn't owe her anything.

'Just say whatever it is you came to say and then crawl back under whatever rock you came out from!' he growled at her. The next words out of her mouth, even though he barely heard them, took the wind out of his sails.

'I'm pregnant, Joey' she whispered.

Joey blinked, letting the words sink in. Words he'd hoped he would never hear. Not from anyone and especially not from her. He wasn't a making a commitment type. He never had been. In all honestly he didn't know if he ever would be. There had been a time when he was with "_her"_ that he thought maybe he was, but maybe that was because she was already married and he knew there was no chance they could have anything more than they had. But now it looked as though everything was about to change and he didn't have a choice in the matter. 'Are you sure?' he asked the woman in front of him. She nodded her head once. She looked vulnerable and anxious as she stood before him. Guilt raised his ugly head again. Joey frowned at her.

'I've been to the doctor to have it confirmed' she said quietly.

'Is it mine?' he asked her, a little dismissively. He was always careful. He used a condom every single time he had sex…mostly.

'Yes, it's yours' she replied, an angry frown marring her face 'I'm not the one fucking half the population of East London just for fun' she snapped at him, hot angry tears falling from her eyes. She dashed them away with the back of her hand before taking a calming breath.

'What are you going to do?' he asked her 'I suppose you're here for money for an abortion' her eyes shot up to meet his at his harsh words. 'Well, you know what, darling? There's no guarantee it's mine, so you're going to have to go find someone else to pin this on' He could see the shock and hurt in her eyes before she recovered herself and then her eyes flashed at him angrily. Of course this would be his response. She should've known better than to expect anything else. He was after all Joey Branning. Notorious ladies' man. And now the newly titled King of Dicks. She knew she'd made a mistake telling him. She wasn't sure what she expected him to do or say. Maybe a small part of her thought he would be supportive or nice... but she'd clearly been fooling herself into thinking she would get that reaction from him.

'I'm keeping the baby, Joey, and I don't want or need anything from you' she told him, her voice quiet but strong, 'I just thought you should hear it from me first hand' she told him.

He hadn't expected her to say that, she'd made it clear she hated him. He figured this was her way of payback 'And I don't get a say?' he frowned at her. She looked at him, shaking her head.

'I think you've just had it' she replied, her voice wobbled a little as though she was fighting back tears, the previous strength disappearing at his final attack. He watched as she turned, walked back up the steps and out of the club before Joey could say anything else. The outside door slammed shut and he turned and leant on the bar, closing his eyes. This was the last thing he wanted. He didn't want commitment or responsibilities. He didn't want to be tied down. And he certainly didn't want a baby. He just wanted to live his life the way he wanted to live it. And now everything was well and truly fucked up. Even more than he thought was possible.

He picked up one of the bottles of vodka he was about to fit into the optics and threw it in a fury. It smashed against the wall, showering glass and alcohol everywhere. 'FUCK!' he yelled out angrily

**AN: Thanks you for all your reviews. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Joey's got himself in a bit of a situation now and he isn't happy about it at all! I wonder which of the two girls he's got pregnant! Next chapter will be posted tomorrow x **


	96. Chapter 96

**Chapter Ninety-Five**

Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief as she let herself back into her house. She wasn't pregnant. Her life would've been over if she were. At 18 years old she still had a lot she wanted to do and her plans would've been ruined if she was saddled with a kid, especially Joey Bloody Pyscho Branning's kid. Not to mention what her dad's reaction would've been. She was fairly certain he would've disowned her. But at least one good thing came from her pregnancy scare. She now had a prescription for the pill. She just had to figure out where to hide them where her dad wouldn't find them. She grinned to herself. She was going to go out tonight to celebrate not being pregnant. She hoped she could pull a good looking man who had lots of money.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lucy ran up the stairs, happy the house was empty. She slammed her bedroom door and threw herself on the bed, her tears streaming down her face as she sobbed into the pillow. She hugged it tightly against her. She was hoping for a better outcome than the one she'd had. She wasn't sure why she'd got her hopes up like that. She knew better. She didn't know what she was going to do now. She cried harder. Why didn't anything work out the way she wanted it to? She wasn't a bad person was she? Sure she'd slept with Jake, Lauren's husband…but only because Joey tricked her into it. She could've said no she supposed, but she'd thought Joey would be so grateful to her for doing what he'd asked that he'd want to start sleeping with her again himself. She'd waited a long time for him to return to her bed and when he did he'd been gentle and tender with her and she fell in love with him a little bit more. And now… now she hated him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jake was surprised to find the house empty when he got home from work. He'd expected Lauren to be there waiting for him. He walked up the stairs stripping of his clothes as he did so. After a hard day in a sweltering kitchen he wanted to take a nice cool shower.

Once inside the bathroom, he noticed that some of Lauren's things were missing. Feeling anger rising in his stomach he moved back into the bedroom and checked her drawers, some of her clothes were missing too. He crossed the room to the wardrobe, hearing a floorboard creak under his feet. Stamping on it he noticed it was unsteady. Dropping to his hands and knees he pulled the rug back and discovered the floorboard was loose. He prised it up with his fingers and found a shoe box hidden underneath. He stood up, holding the shoe box in his hand and sat down on the bed, his earlier anger replaced by curiosity. He wondered what Lauren was hiding from him in here.

He took the lid off the box and tipped everything out onto the bed. There were ultrasound scans from when she was pregnant, a birth and death certificate for the baby she'd lost. Jake tossed them thoughtlessly to one side. He reached into the box and pulled out an envelope. Inside he found numerous ticket stubs to the cinema and theatre and even a Kings of Leon concert. Checking the dates he realised they were all times when he was away on business. He frowned, Joey hadn't mentioned Lauren had gone out anywhere. Joey had reported back to him that she'd barely left the house, but the ticket stubs told a very different story. He wondered why Joey had lied to him. He put the stubs back into the envelope and saw a jewellery box. Picking it up he opened it and inside nestled against the white satin was a silver key shaped pendant with strange marks on the back of it. A series of dots. He frowned wondering what they were, he ran his fingers over them, feeling the slightly raised bumps. He suddenly realised what it was. It was braille. He frowned wondering why she'd hidden a necklace with braille on it from him. Pulling out his phone he typed into Google and waited a few moments. He saw red when he read the translation of the braille. It said "I love you" He heard the front door open and shut and then footsteps coming up the stairs. Lauren was back. She walked into the room and her eyes fell to the floor.

'What have you done?' she frowned at him 'That's private'

'You're my wife, you don't have anything private' he snapped at her. 'What the hell is this?' he waved the envelope and the necklace at her.

'Well you've routed through them so I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what they are' she said with a sigh.

'Who have you been seeing?' he asked her.

'I haven't been seeing anyone' she lied.

'You've been going to the cinema, the theatre…concerts…'

'One concert, Jake. It was one concert!' Lauren frowned at him, wondering where her bravado was coming from.

'How have you been able to afford to pay for these?' he frowned at her 'have you been stealing money out of my wallet?'

'It's my money too' she retorted 'I earn my own wages which you don't seem to have a problem with stealing from me'

Jake blinked at her in surprise. She was being feistier than normal. If he didn't know better he would've had said she was acting this way to get a reaction out of him. 'I'm going to ask you again. Who did you go with?' he growled at her.

'It's none of your fucking business' Lauren replied, swallowing anxiously as the words she'd said sunk in. She knew she'd gone too far. She saw the anger in his eyes erupt and he lunged for her. She screamed and ran out of the room and back down the stairs. She had the front door open and was almost out of it when she was yanked back by the handful of hair Jake had grabbed hold off, He dragged her back into the house and slammed the door shut. Pushing her roughly back against the door, his hand moved from her hair to her throat.

'I'm going to ask you one more time Lauren and if you don't give me a proper answer then I'm going to get really angry. 'Who did you go with and where did you get the money from?' he spat in her face.

She closed her mouth and stared into his eyes. He squeezed her throat a little harder 'JOEY!' she gasped, 'Joey…'

'Joey?' Jake frowned, stunned by her answer. He let her throat go, her hands moved to her neck and she coughed, rubbing her neck gently.

'Yes, Joey paid for the tickets' she said to him 'I went with to the cinema with Alice and Joey, he brought the Kings of Leon tickets for my birthday. We used to go when you were out of town on business. Isn't that what he was supposed to do? Keep an eye on me?' she frowned at him angrily.

'What about the necklace?'

'Alice gave it to me, for my birthday She said she found it in an antiques shop, she thought I'd like it, it matches some earrings I have' the lies rolled off her tongue easily surprising even her.

'You'd better be telling me the truth. If I find out that you've been having an affair with someone behind my back I swear to god I'll beat you until you can't move and then I'll find him and bring him back here and I'll kill him while you watch' he hissed at her.

He pulled her out of the way of the door and opened it. 'Where are you going?' she asked him, already knowing the answer to her question.

'I think I need to have a little chat with Joey' he snapped at her.

Lauren closed her eyes and swallowed. Joey hated her. She was fairly certain he wouldn't back her up, almost as certain as she was that he wouldn't admit he was the one having an affair with her. 'Jake wait!' she cried out, following him out of the house.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. I am so glad that you are enjoying TBB! Well it's not Rebecca that's pregnant but Lucy seems pretty upset…could that have something to do with Joey's reaction at the club? And Lauren's in a spot of bother herself now that Jake has found her secret hiding place! What is going to happen next? Next chapter up tomorrow x **


	97. Chapter 97

**Chapter Ninety-Six**

'Jake…please' Lauren hissed at him when she grabbed his arm as he made his way down the stairs of the club.

'Let go of me' he yanked his arm free as they reached the bottom. He marched into the club, seeing Ricky and Joey laughing behind the bar.

'Jake' Lauren grabbed him again.

'I said get off me, bitch' he turned round and raised his hand to her. Lauren yelped and jumped backwards, causing the two men behind the bar to look up at them.

'Jake?' Joey asked stepping out from behind the bar. His eyes darted briefly to Lauren. He could see the fear and worry in her eyes 'what's going on?' he fixed his gaze on her husband, keeping his poker face firmly in place. He wondered if Jake knew about his affair with Lauren.

'I thought we were mates' Jake frowned at him.

'We are' Joey replied calmly.

'Then what are these?' he tossed the envelope and the necklace onto the counter, some of the stubs spilt out onto the counter.

'Ticket stubs' Joey replied with a frown, not quite understanding why Jake was questioning him about ticket stubs.

'I know they're ticket stubs, I'm not blind. I want to know why Lauren has them'

'I don't understand…you're asking me because….' Joey trailed off.

Jake pointed a finger at Lauren 'she says you paid for them'

'Did she?' Joey raised his chin slightly in a gesture Lauren had seen too many times, when he was being defiant and stubborn. He folded his arms across his chest and the tight white shirt showed off the muscles in his arms to perfection. Lauren remembered how safe she felt when those arms were wrapped around her. She swallowed as she felt her body reacting to those memories.

'You said you'd keep an eye on her and you clearly don't know anything about these' he frowned and taking everyone by surprise he turned and grabbed hold of Lauren's hair, causing her to cry out in pain as he pulled her close to him 'so you were lying to me' Lauren's hands moved to his, trying to prise his hands off her hair. He tugged it 'I warned you what I would do if I found out you were lying to me you deceitful little bitch' he spat in her face.

'You're hurting me!' Lauren cried out in pain 'and I'm not lying!' she told him 'Joey…please tell him…' she begged him.

'Oh sweetheart, if you thinks this hurts you wait until we get home' Jake threatened her his voice barely above a whisper.

'Yes. I brought the tickets' Joey said to him swallowing as he heard the threats Jake was making to Lauren, Jake turned to look at him 'you asked me to keep an eye on her when you were away, so I paid for trips to the cinema and theatre' he explained to him. 'Sometimes I went with her, but mostly Alice did' he lied, 'now let her go, mate. She hasn't done anything wrong' he gestured to Lauren. Jake loosened his grip and Lauren pulled away from him sobbing quietly.

'And what about the Kings of Leon tickets'

'I brought those too, for Alice and Lauren' Joey nodded his head 'I went with them' he said.

'And the necklace?' Jake growled at him.

Joey swallowed wondering what lie Lauren had told him about the necklace, the last thing he wanted to do was to get her in any more trouble with Jake. He opened his mouth to speak when Lauren jumped in. 'I've already told you Alice gave me the necklace, she found it in an antique shop' Lauren told him as her tears rolled down her cheeks.

'She's telling the truth' Joey said glancing at Lauren briefly, wanting nothing more than to take her into his arms and comfort her, to kiss away her tears. 'Alice brought the necklace for Lauren for her birthday'

Lauren turned and headed for the stairs 'Where are you going?' Jake called after her, but Lauren didn't reply. She ran out of the club and Joey stared after her, it took every ounce of self-control he had to stop himself from going after her, knowing he couldn't, knowing she probably wouldn't want him to anyway. He swallowed and turned to look at Jake. Joey took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

'Maybe you should leave her to calm down for a bit' Joey suggested, hoping that Jake would also calm down and Lauren wouldn't get beaten tonight…or worse. 'Why don't you have a drink?'

'I'll have a scotch' Jake said.

Joey nodded and stepped back behind the bar to get him his drink.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren fled back to the house and she gathered all her private things up and put them back in the shoebox. She looked at the ultrasound scan she held in her shaking hand and sat down on the bed, her right hand brushed over her flat stomach as she thought about the baby she was carrying. She was worried things would follow the same route they took the last time she was pregnant. She knew she had a decision to make, she knew she needed to leave Jake, leave Walford for good. She just didn't know how she was going to be able to do it without help. She knew asking Joey for help would be out of the question. Yes he'd lied to Jake but she knew he was only saving his own skin, he wasn't lying for her. She dropped the scan into the box and took the box down to the kitchen. finding some sellotape in the kitchen drawer. With shaking hands she managed to seal the box and she wrote a note on the lid. She picked it up and headed out of her house. She walked across the square and put the shoebox on the doorstep of Joey's flat, then she walked past the club until she found herself standing outside the police station.

When she returned to the house she shared with Jake she went upstairs to their bedroom and put the floor boards down and the rug back in place. She made up the bed in the spare room, transferring her things into it.

This room had a lock on it and Lauren would feel safer in here until she could figure out a way to leave Jake for good. This time she would be more careful, cover her tracks more, she would keep to herself, she wouldn't make friends.

She changed her clothes and left the room, locking it behind her. She grabbed the shoe box from the kitchen and as she was leaving the house she saw Jake's keys on the side. This was the opportunity she'd been waiting for and she was going to take it. She only hoped Jake wouldn't be coming back anytime soon. She left the house nervously, the keys tucked safely in her pocket.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren got the club an hour later and Jake was there. She went into the staffroom and put her bag and a few other things in her locker and then headed to work behind the bar.

'Where have you been?' Joey asked her with a scowl 'you're late'

'Dock my pay' she replied testily as she went to the opposite end of the bar to serve some people.

She worked her half of the bar and she could feel Jake watching her every move, but she ignored him. Ricky worked alongside her, checking she was okay. She told him she was, but she knew he wasn't convinced. She wasn't convinced either.

A group of girls came in and wanted some cocktails which she didn't know how to make so she went to see Ricky. She spoke to him briefly and he nodded his head and moved toward the girls, taking Lauren's place and starting to make their cocktails.

Jake pushed his glass towards her, 'I'll have another scotch' he slurred at her.

'I'm sorry I'm not serving you' she shook her head 'You've had enough'

Jake frowned at her 'I said…I'll have another scotch!'

'And I said no' Lauren snatched his glass away from him and put it in the basket under the counter ready for washing.

'Then I'll come round and get it myself you fucking bitch' Jake slurred angrily. He got up and he walked round behind the bar. Lauren swallowed but stood her ground.

'I said no' she told him firmly. Jake raised his fist threateningly 'go ahead' she said defiantly and bravely 'there's a room full of witnesses and it'll just be one more thing for the Police to question you about' she told him.

Jake blinked at her 'you didn't go to the Police' he said shaking his head, lowering his hand.

'Didn't I?' Lauren said straight faced. 'Maybe I didn't go to Walford Police station before I came here. Maybe I didn't file a report telling them you tried to strangle me, or that you pulled my hair. Maybe they didn't take photographs of the bruises on my throat to use as evidence against you. Maybe they won't check the CCTV in the club or ask Ricky and Joey for their witness statements' she told him with a shrug 'are you going to take that chance?' she said. He stared at her, his eyes burning with anger. 'You know what' she said as Joey made his way back over to them 'I will get you a scotch' she told him, she turned and poured him another shot and held it out to him, he reached for the glass but she snatched it away from him. 'You can have it on one condition' she looked at him.

'And what's that?' Jake replied with a frown

'I want a divorce' she told him firmly.

'Never going to happen, Lauren' Jake shook his head 'til death do us part, remember?' he held up his left hand to show her his wedding ring.

Lauren put the glass down on the bar. She pulled off her wedding ring and dropped it into the glass.

'If that's what it's going to take' she replied in a low quiet voice. She walked into the staff room, closing the door behind her.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews….well even though Joey is angry at Lauren he's backed up her story… and she's really had enough of Jake now….I wonder what he's going to make of that little threat at the end. Next chapter up tomorrow x **


	98. Chapter 98

**Chapter Ninety-Seven**

Joey watched as Lauren walked into the staffroom and shut the door behind her. Jake was watching her with an amused expression on his face. Joey walked over to him. 'That looked pretty intense' Joey said, hoping he could get Jake to talk to him.

'Yeah, I think she just threatened to kill me' he said with a laugh.

'Oh?' Joey asked leaning on the bar.

'She's harping on about wanting a divorce again' Jake told him. He picked up the glass of scotch and dipped his fingers in it, pulling out Lauren's ring. He dropped it onto the bar and downed the drink.

'Listen mate, I know this is none of my business but...maybe you should divorce her' Joey told him 'I mean you're not happy, she's not happy. Maybe it's about time to cut your losses and run while you're still young enough to start over' he suggested to him. 'What about that girl you have in Bexley? Your kids? You could start over with them' Joey suggested. 'You have a readymade family just waiting for you. You could divorce Lauren and finally let go of the mistake you were bullied into by your parents when you were a teenager'' Joey said fighting to keep the anger out of his voice.

'Because the bitch will fleece me for everything I have' he replied. 'Besides, my parents don't believe in divorce'

'It hasn't got anything to do with your parents. It's your life' Joey told him.

'Actually it has. My father invested a lot of money in the restaurant' he told him 'When Lauren left me I was in America. Vegas to be exact' he said 'turns out black jack isn't as easy as you'd think. I lost half a million in two weeks. My father had to bail me out, so he has say in my life whether I like it or not' he told him. He put the glass back on the bar. 'Give that back to my wife will you?' he asked him 'and tell her I'll be waiting up for her' he gestured to the ring in the bar.

'You know I think you should do that yourself' Joey told him. Jake picked up the ring and he looked down at it, curling his fist around it and he stood up and walked unsteadily out of the bar. Joey gestured to Ricky to watch the bar and he went to the staffroom to find Lauren.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren was shaking in the staff room. She had no idea what had come over her in the past 48 hours. She had stood up to Jake when she should've known better. She had told so many lies in a short space of time she wasn't actually sure about the lies she'd told and she knew if Jake questioned her again about things she would probably get herself into even more trouble than she was already in. She couldn't believe she had told him she'd gone to the Police. Yes she'd gone to the Police station but she hadn't actually gone inside. What was she going to tell them? That her husband shouted at her and pulled her hair after he discovered some tickets stubs and necklace she'd been hiding from him? All they would've done was laugh at her. She'd even asked for a divorce and threatened him. She had no idea where her bravado was coming from. Well that wasn't strictly true she did. She was trying to protect the life that was growing inside of her. She was trying to protect her baby.

What terrified her most now though was how Jake was going to react to the news that she was pregnant, especially since they hadn't slept together since the anniversary trip he'd taken her on five months earlier. There was no way she could pass the baby off as his…unless….she shuddered at the thought of having sex with Jake. She knew that it wasn't an option. She thought back to the time she figured out she'd fallen pregnant. It must've been after she returned from her trip to her mothers and had headed over to see Joey after he'd sent her a text telling her he was waiting for her and he was naked. She calculated the dates in her head, she was about 5 weeks pregnant.

Her tears fell faster and harder…she was screwed and she didn't know what to do. She didn't even have anyone to turn, not since she and Joey had broken up. She'd told Joey she was keeping the baby but she wasn't sure how that would be possible. She didn't know why she'd expected anything different from Joey, she knew what he was like before she got involved with him, but still his rejection stung, especially now when she needed him more than ever.

She wondered what Jake would do when he discovered the truth.

***JB*JB*JB*JB**

Joey walked into the staffroom and found Lauren throwing up in the sink. He closed the door behind him, turning the lock as he did so and rushed over to her. He grabbed some paper towels and a bottle of water from the fridge putting them both on the side.

'Are you okay?' he asked her when she stood upright. She grabbed the water, rinsing her mouth out and spitting it into the sink.

'I'm fine' she replied shortly.

'Maybe if you're sick you should go home?' Joey said softly.

'It's morning sickness' Lauren informed him 'which apparently can occur at any time day or night' she took a sip of water and swallowed it. She secured the top on the bottle of water and put it down on the side, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

'He told me you asked for a divorce' Joey said.

'How is that your business?' Lauren snapped at him angrily. 'What are you doing in here, Joey? You had a break an hour ago'

'I…I wanted to make sure you were okay' he told her softly 'I saw you and Jake at the bar' he told her.

'And?' she turned her angry gaze onto him.

'Hey!' Joey stood up holding his hands in the air 'I'm not the bad guy here' he told her. 'Did he hurt you, earlier?' he asked her.

'And again I ask, how is this any of your business?' she asked him.

'Can we have a truce here or something?' he said 'I was worried about you. I am worried about you. And the baby' he told her as his eyes dropped to her flat stomach.

'Yeah? I got that from your "how much money do you need for an abortion" comment' she replied. 'And your denial that this baby is yours. I don't need or want anything from you, Joey' she said shaking her head. 'As far as I'm concerned this baby, me…we have nothing to do with you' she told him as she walked over to her locker. She opened the door and grabbed her bag and coat, leaving the locker door open. She walked towards the door and unlocked it 'you can tell Sharon not to worry about my last pay cheque' she told him as she walked out of the staffroom.

Joey followed her as she walked behind the bar and emptied her tip jar into her bag 'what are you doing?' he frowned at her as she pulled her keys to the till off her belt and dropped them at the back of the bar.

'I quit. For good this time' she told him. 'Stay away from me, Joey' she snapped at him as she pushed past him and walked out of the club.

'Lauren! Lauren!' he frowned calling after her. Ricky frowned wondering what was going on between the two of them now. He moved past Joey. 'You stay here, I'll go' he told him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Ricky caught up with her easily 'hey' he called out. Lauren stopped and turned around to look at him. 'Did he send you?' she frowned at him 'too much of a coward to come himself?'

'No. He wanted to come but I told him not to. Look, Lauren I don't know what happened between the two of you and frankly whatever it is, well it's none of my business…but what I witnessed earlier between you and Jake…well that's what I'm worried about. I'm worried about you'

'Don't worry about it' Lauren told him shaking her head 'it's nothing I haven't been through before' she told him. 'But now it stops' she said firmly as once again her thoughts moved to her unborn child.

'Can I do anything? Make a statement to the Police? Do you need money?' he asked her. He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, opened it and took out a thick wad of money and held it out to her 'It's not much…a couple of hundred' he told her.

'I can't take that' she told him shaking her head.

'Yes you can. I want you to' he said to her 'I'll tell Sharon I subbed you some wages, I can get it back' he lied.

'Are…are you sure?' she asked him.

'Yes' he said, taking her hand and pressing the money into her palm.

'Thank you' Lauren told him, stepping forward she enveloped him in a hug. 'Thank you' she whispered in his ear. She let him go and turned away from him.

'Good luck' he said softly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey looked up anxiously as Ricky returned to the bar, his heart sank as he realised Lauren wasn't with him. 'Well?' Joey asked him.

'I think she's going to run' he told him. 'I gave her some money…everything I had on me'

'How much was that?' Joey asked him.

'£200' Ricky replied. 'Kind of ironic it's the same amount of money we bet on who could fuck her first' he said. 'I'm guessing that's what all this mess is about'

Joey sighed 'Jake doesn't know' he told him.

'I figured' he nodded his head 'I just hope she goes soon' he said as he headed behind the bar.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews for TBB so far! Xx And Merry Christmas! Xxx Well Joey's sort of trying to make amends with Lauren but she's not having any of it….And Ricky seems to know she's planning on running (even though he doesn't know she's pregnant!) I guess we have to wait and see is her plan to leave Jae works and what this means for Joey! Next chapter up tomorrow xx **


	99. Chapter 99

**Chapter Ninety-Eight**

A week later, Joey watched from his flat as a "For Rent" sign went up outside Lauren's house. He knew if she was planning to run she would be going soon. He saw Jake leave the house and Joey picked up a couple of things and left his flat, crossing the street. He knocked on the door and waited. A few moments later Lauren appeared in the doorway.

'Just give me five minute please' Joey said to her as she moved to shut the door in his face. She sighed and looked up at him. 'Ricky told me he gave you some money. He figures you're going to run soon' he told her 'so I figured you'd want these back' he told her. She looked at his hands and saw the shoebox and a black sock along with the phone Joey had given her. 'Where are you going to go?'

'I'm not going anywhere' Lauren said to him shaking his head 'I don't know where Ricky got that idea from' she opened the door a little wider and took the things from him.

'I'm not going to tell Jake anything' Joey told her softly. 'Will you call me when you get some place safe?' he asked her. She didn't answer him 'well it's your decision' he said softly 'take care, Lauren' he added softly. He wanted to ask her about the baby. He wanted to ask her to stay but he knew he couldn't be that selfish. She needed to leave Jake, she needed to get far away from him. She needed to be safe. Lauren blinked and shut the door going back up to her bedroom.

She looked around the room and grabbed a bag, starting to pack. She'd decided she needed to travel light. Once she was settled she'd be able to get some more clothes and things, but not too much, in case Jake showed up again. This time she would be ready and waiting. She pulled out a little bit of the money she had and stuffed the rest into the sock and pushed it to the bottom of the bag. She locked the bedroom door behind her and left the house. She was only gone for a couple of hours, she'd got everything ready and all she needed was her bag and then she was going to get on the tube and get the Hell out of Walford for good..

She let herself into the house and shut it behind her. Turning around, Lauren swallowed as she saw Jake sitting at the bottom of the stairs. Her black duffle bag between his feet. In his hands was the roll of money she had saved up.

'I think you and I need to have a little talk. Don't you?' he said, his eyes flashing dangerously at her. Lauren swallowed. This wasn't going to end well.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews for TBB! Xx Well Joey's still trying but Lauren's still not having any of it. Poor Joey…he's concerned for her and the baby but at least he's finally realised that she needs to put herself first and not stay in Walford because of him. OH NO! Jake has found her bags and her money! What is going to happen now? Back tomorrow xx **


	100. Chapter 100

**Chapter Ninety Nine.**

The next day, Jake walked into the club at lunchtime and headed to the bar, I'll have a beer please Joey' he said to him sitting down on a stool 'and have one yourself' he said.

'You're in a good mood' Joey said as he grabbed a bottle from under the bar and pulled the lid off. 'What's brought this on?' he asked him as Jack moved behind the bar close enough to Joey to overhear what the two were talking about.

'Let's just say I'm not going to be having any more issues with Lauren. We had a little chat last night and…well…well let's just say she's not going to be causing any more trouble' he told Joey. Jack glanced up as Jake picked up his beer bottle. Jack looked at Jake's hand and frowned seeing it was scuffed as though he'd been in a fight. Jake slid off the stool and walked over to a group of people he knew leaving Joey wondering exactly what he meant.

'What was that all about?' Jack asked Joey.

'No idea' Joey said shrugging his shoulders.

'Have you spoken to Lauren lately?' Jack asked him, leaning against the bar.

'I'm the last person she wants to speak to, believe me' Joey said 'I need to get some more beers, you okay to watch the bar?' he asked him.

'Yeah, sure' Jack nodded his head and looked at Jake. He had a bad feeling that something about Jake just didn't add up. He decided he'd talk to Joey about it when he came back from the basement. Joey returned five minutes later with a box of beer and set it down on the bar, opening the box. Jack helped him unpack the bottles, watching Jake as he worked. 'What do you know about him?' Jack nodded his head towards Jake 'I mean other than the things Lauren told you about him?'

'Why are you so interested?' Joey asked him.

'I don't know…there's just something off about him' he said with a frown 'I just have a feeling in my gut is all'

'I've been out with him a few times. He asked me to watch Lauren when he went out of town on business. Aside from beating his wife, he's a nasty piece of work I'll tell you that much' Joey said as he started to break down the box for recycling. 'I may have a reputation for treating women like shit but even on my worst days I treat them better than he treats Lauren... she deserves someone better than him...'

'What do you mean?' Jack frowned at him.

Joey looked at him. 'He's got a girlfriend the other side of London and a couple of kids'

'Does Lauren know?' Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise.

'She didn't, but Jake told her a week or so back' Joey shook his head and then he shrugged.

'You didn't tell her?' Jack asked him.

'You remember the part where she's not talking to me right?' Joey asked him. 'Besides, it's none of my business is it?' he asked his uncle and he picked the cardboard up and headed up the stairs to go outside to the bins.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Alice knocked on the door, she'd been due to meet Lauren for lunch and she was a no show. She knew Joey and Lauren had had some kind of falling out and when she'd tried to question them about it they'd both clam up, or tell her it was none of her business. Lauren had told her, however, that whatever happened between her and Joey, it didn't affect their friendship. The two girls had still seen a lot of each other and Lauren even came over for her dad's dinners, although Joey no longer went.

'Lauren?' Alice knelt down and pushed the letterbox open and peered into the house. 'Lauren?' she called through the small gap. She thought she saw movement in the kitchen but wasn't sure 'Lauren it's me Alice' she waited for an answer but got no reply 'we were supposed to be meeting for lunch' she said and she licked her lips 'Lauren?' she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialled Lauren's number. She could hear the phone ringing in the house. 'Lauren…?' she called out again. This time she was sure she saw movement in the kitchen. But for whatever reason Lauren wanted to pretend she wasn't home. She sighed and let the letterbox close, heading down the path. Alice turned to look back at the house and the net curtain moved at the front window. Alice walked towards the club.

Joey grinned at Alice as she walked towards him. 'Hello you, this is a nice surprise' he said turning, to fix her a drink.

'Well, my lunch plans fell through' she said to him as she flopped down onto a stool.

'Well their loss….' Joey said placing a cocktail in front of her. 'So who were your plans with?'

'Lauren' Alice said. 'We've been meeting every Wednesday for lunch for months now and when she's cancelled before she's called or texted me but today, nothing' she said with a shrug. She glanced at Jack who was chatting to Max a little ways away from them. 'I even went over there to see if she was in and had forgotten but she wouldn't come to the door' Alice said

'Or maybe she was out' Joey told her 'I'm sure Lauren will apologise, explain later'

'I swear she was in the house though' Alice said to him, picking up her drink and taking a sip. 'I even tried to call her again and I could hear her phone ringing in the house'

'Maybe she forgot it, Al' Joey reasoned 'it happens'

'Yes but when I looked through the letterbox I saw her moving round in the kitchen'

'Maybe she has a migraine' Joey suggested.

'But why wouldn't she come to the door and say so or send me a text like she has done before? It doesn't make sense' Alice said, looking to her brother for answers but getting none.

'I don't know what you want me to say Alice' Joey said with a frown 'Lauren and I aren't exactly on the best of terms right now. Maybe she didn't want to have lunch with you and have to endure you and your incessantly annoying questions' he snapped at her angrily, surprising her and his two uncles. 'I'm taking a break Jack' he told him as he walked away.

After the lunch time shift was over Joey cleared up and Ricky came in to take over. Joey grabbed his things and left the club. Jack frowned seeing his nephew was more than a little distracted. He'd caught him a few times looking at his phone, as if he were expecting a phone call or text, or debating about making a call. He looked as though he was torn between what to do. Jack knew there was something more going on than he knew about. He was determined to find out.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews. Well Jack's suspicions are on high alert. I wonder what he's planning on doing? I'll be back later if I get enough reviews. And it's a chapter you don't want to wait for! Trust me! **


	101. Chapter 101

**Chapter One Hundred**

Jack knocked on Lauren's door and waited patiently for her to answer. He could hear movement inside the house and walked round to the back of the house. He could see Lauren through the window in the kitchen, throwing up in the sink. He tried the handle but the door was locked. 'Lauren?' he tapped lightly on the glass pane in the door. 'Sweetheart is everything okay?'

Lauren sighed 'I'm fine, Jack' she called back softly. Her voice sounded funny to Jack, he wasn't going to give up without seeing her.

'Can you open the door?' he asked her 'Let me see for myself?'

Lauren walked to the door 'I don't have the key' she replied quietly.

'Then let me in at the front' Jack said.

'I don't have the key' she repeated again.

Jack frowned, his earlier bad feeling came back in droves. Something definitely wasn't right here. 'Stand back from the door' he instructed her.

Lauren slowly moved back to the sink and Jack took a few steps backwards and raised his foot and kicked the door. It took three attempts before the door gave, it made a loud shattering sound as the wood gave way and the noise it made scared Lauren. A few moments later Jack appeared in the doorway.

Lauren turned her back to him 'Jake is going to be so pissed off you broke the door down' Lauren said quietly.

'I'm not worried about Jake. I'm worried about you' he told her 'Alice said you missed your lunch date with her. Joey's acting like a crazy person…what's going on Lauren?' he asked her.

'Nothing, I'm just not feeling well today. I didn't realise it was a crime. Tell Alice I said sorry, okay'

Jack took a breath 'Jake was in the club at lunchtime, talking to Joey' he said 'he said something about the two of you having a little chat and you knowing where your place is now? What did he mean?' Jack asked her.

'It's none of your business' Lauren said to him bluntly.

'Look. I'm not going to beat around the bush here. I know there was something going on between you and Joey. And I also know whatever it was ended badly judging by the way you both bristle when the others name is mentioned…and…'

'There's nothing going on between me and Joey' Lauren interrupted him. 'There never has been and there never will be'

'…and, I saw you two having sex in the woods' Jack finished his sentence 'I'm guessing the two of you broke up and I know Joey isn't dealing with this break up very well and I'm guessing you aren't either. You quit your job at the club'

'Oh' Lauren said quietly. 'I didn't know you saw us' she said her voice shaking. 'I quit my job because I was getting ready to leave' she admitted to him. 'I had a bag packed and the money I saved was more than enough for me to be able to get far enough way…'

'So when are you going?' he asked her.

She was silent for a long time 'Oh, well…you see there's been a little problem with that' she told him 'Jake found the bag and the money and there's been a slight hitch in the plan' she told him and she slowly turned round to face him.

'Lauren, sweetheart…' Jack whispered softly 'Jake did this?' he asked her, already knowing the answer to the question before he asked it. 'How the Hell are you standing right now?' he frowned at her.

'Like Jake said, I know my place now' she told him. 'You should go. He wants me to clean the house before he gets back and he's not going to be pleased to find you here'

'Have you been to the hospital?' he asked her, ignoring her last statement. She shook her head and instantly regretted the movement. She swayed on her feet as a wave of dizziness came over her. 'Come on' he said moving towards her, my car is just a few doors down' he told her and put his arm around her shoulders ushering her towards the door. She walked slowly, Jack knew she was clearly in a lot of pain, 'Okay, come here' he bent down, looping his arm under her knees and carefully picked her up. She cried out in pain 'Sorry sweetheart' he said quietly. She lay her head on his shoulder as he carried her out to his car. He put her carefully in the front seat, securing the seatbelt in place. He rushed round to the driver's side, got in and started the engine, peeling off through the square. Sharon frowned as she saw his car screeching round the corner as she got off the tube.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Jack walked into the club at 9pm. Sharon looked up at him as he walked to the bar. 'Where were you going in such a rush?' she asked him 'I saw your car speeding through the square like a bat of Hell'

'I'll explain everything later, but first I need a double scotch' he told her.

Sharon took in the grave look on his face, nodding her head she turned and got him his drink, putting it down on the bar. He picked it up and downed it one, surprising her 'and another' he murmured.

She frowned but got him another double scotch. 'Jack, what's happened?' she asked him in concern.

'I've just got back from the hospital' he told her.

'Oh no…are Dot and Jim okay?' Sharon asked fearing the worst.

'Dot and dad are fine' he said taking the glass from her, this time only drinking half of it down. He glanced up as Joey walked over to them, reaching behind Sharon for some cocktail stirrers. 'It's Lauren' he said. Joey's head shot up at the mention of her name.

'Lauren's in hospital?' Sharon asked him with a frown 'why what happened?'

'Jake happened' Jack said to her. Joey's face paled significantly.

'How bad is she?' Joey asked him quietly.

'They're keeping her in for a few days' Jack said 'He's done a pretty good job on her' he told his nephew 'she's almost unrecognisable' he whispered as he remembered her swollen, bruised and battered face.

'I have to go' Joey said 'I'm sorry' he put the cocktail stirrers down on the bar and went into the staffroom to gather his things.

Sharon and Jack exchanged glances 'Ricky, hold the fort' Sharon called out and the two of them followed Joey into the staffroom just as he slammed his locker door shut. 'You can't just take off in the middle of a shift, Joey, we're rushed off our feet here tonight' she frowned at him.

'I have to go and make sure she's okay' Joey said shrugging on his jacket.

'Jack wouldn't have left her if she wasn't going to be fine' Sharon said to him 'besides visiting hours will be over now'

'And when Jake figures out she's gone, where do you think he's going to go?' Joey frowned at her 'I'm not letting him get near her again'

'Joey…darling…this isn't any of your business' Sharon said to him softly.

'You don't understand, she's pregnant' Joey told them both 'I _have_ to be there'

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. Here is tonight's second chapter. Jake's beaten Lauren so badly that Jack has taken her to the hospital. I wonder what the extent of her injuries are and I hope the baby is okay! I guess the cats out of the bag now! Both Sharon and Jack knows Lauren is pregnant now but who's baby is it? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow. **


	102. Chapter 102

**Chapter One Hundred and One.**

Sharon blinked at him. 'What do you mean she's pregnant?'

Joey rolled his eyes at her 'what do you think I mean?' he frowned at her moving towards the door.

'She's pregnant?' Sharon said with a frown, stepping into Joey's path.

'Yes' Joey said nodding his head.

'Joseph Branning! Is this the reason why Lauren quit because you couldn't keep your dick in your pants?' she said angrily. 'I warned you if this happened again I was going to fire you and I meant it. I'm done with you. You're fired, Joey'

'You know what, that suits me just fine' Joey snapped at her and he pushed his way past them both and out of the door.

'Joey!' Jack called after him, chasing him up the stairs. 'I'll come with you, you drive' he held out his car keys to him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey got into the car followed by Jack 'I'll talk to Sharon when she's calmed down a little' he told his nephew.

'Right now, I don't care about the job, all I care about is Lauren' Joey started the engine and pulled away with screeching of tyres, in much the same way Jack had earlier. 'How bad is she? Did she lose the baby?'

'I don't know about the baby. She didn't mention anything. She was with the Police when I left her' Jack told him.

'Did she tell you what happened? Joey asked taking a corner at breakneck speed.

'Slow down mate, we want to be visiting Lauren in the hospital not joining her in there' Jack braced his hands on the dashboard. 'She didn't say anything about what happened but it was pretty clear she didn't do that to herself' Jack said and he looked at Joey 'she's pretty bad, she's taken one hell of a beating, mate' he told him. 'You may not even be allowed in to see her' he warned him.

'Oh, don't worry. I'll get in' he said determinedly, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

'I thought you said there was nothing going on between you and Lauren' Jack asked him 'clearly you two have been keeping a lot of secrets….she's married, Joey. What the hell were you thinking?'

'I just want to get to the hospital Uncle Jack' he told him 'can we talk about this later?'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey pulled the car up right outside the doors of the hospital, ignoring the protests of the porters who were standing outside smoking. Joey left the driver's door open and ran into the hospital. Jack got into the driver's seat and parked the car in a space a few feet away and went in search of his nephew. He found him at the nurse's station.

'Can I help you sir?' a pretty blonde nurse asked him.

'I'm here to see Lauren Stone' Joey said

'I'm sorry sir. Visiting hours are over' she shook her head 'you can come back tomorrow at 10:00am' she said dismissively.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. Will the nurse let Joey in so he can see Lauren? Has he really lost his job? And if he gets into see Lauren will she be happy to see him. Leave me a review. I'll be back later with a second chapter if I get enough reviews x**


	103. Chapter 103

**Chapter One Hundred and Two**

Joey sighed and leant on the counter, looking at the name tag on the nurse's uniform. 'Stephanie is it?' he asked her 'I just found out that my girlfriend has been brought in and I have driven a really, really long way to get here. She's probably worried that I've had some kind of accident on the way here…I would just like to see her, reassure her that I'm okay, let her know I'm here for her' he told her. 'Please…and I want to make sure she's okay…I'm going out of my mind with worry and I need to see her for myself' he said softly.

The nurse looked at Joey and she sighed 'Room 231' she replied.

'Thank you' Joey nodded his head. He glanced left and then right and turned back to the clerk with a frown 'and where is that?' he asked

'Left, right down to the end of the corridor, turn right and its four doors down on the right' she smiled

'Thanks' Joey replied. He turned to look at Jack and the two of them followed her directions until they found themselves standing outside Lauren's room.

'I'll wait here' Jack said putting his hand on Joey's shoulder and squeezing gently. Joey nodded and took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The room was dark, the blinds had been drawn and the only light coming into the room was from the doorway. He stepped inside and walked towards the bed.

'Jack?' Lauren asked in a soft croaky voice.

'It's me…Joey'

'Jo…Joey?' she whispered, turning her head slightly. He moved the chair that was leaning against the wall closer to the bed and sat down.

'Hey' he smiled at her, 'how are you feeling?' he asked her.

'You should see the other guy' she replied, shifting in the bed to roll onto her back, pulling herself to sit up a little, he heard her gasp in pain and he stood up.

'Let me help you' he said quietly. Carefully he put his arm around her, gently lifting her and shifting her on the bed, 'better?' he asked her. She nodded her head.

'Thank you…can you pass me some water?' she asked him. Joey reached for the water jug, pouring some into the plastic beaker, he held it to her lips. She took a few sips and lay her head back on the pillow. He could see her injuries clearer now, thanks to the light shining in from the corridor. She looked like she'd gone two rounds with Carl Froch.

'What happened?' he asked her softly, shuffling the chair closer to her and retaking his seat. 'Lauren?'

'What are you doing here, Joey?' she asked him closing her eyes.

'You're in the hospital, where else would I be?' he frowned at her.

'I would've thought this was the last place you'd want to be' she replied quietly. 'After the way you've been for the last month…' she said looking at him.

'Did Jake do this?' Joey asked her softly.

'Why do you care?' she frowned at him, her eyes filling with tears.

'Lauren, he's put you in the hospital, don't you think this time he's gone too far?' he asked her 'you have to tell the Police babe, you have to make a statement, you need to press charges'

Lauren took a deep breath and a burning pain shot through her ribs. 'I don't need to do anything. You don't get to tell me what to do…'

'Have you seen what he's done to you? Have you actually looked in a mirror?' he asked her.

'You should go' Lauren told him 'If Jake sees you here…'

'Do you think I care what the fuck Jake will do or say if he sees me here?' he snapped at her angrily 'I don't understand why you're protecting him, he's beaten you to a bloody pulp and you still want to stay with him?' Joey stood up and started pacing the room. He caught sight of a wheelchair outside the room and he marched outside to the corridor and grabbed it.

'Joey, what are you doing?' Jack grabbed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

'She needs to see what he did to her, maybe then she'll press charges this time' Joey said 'leave him for good'

Jack sighed 'she was trying to leave him' he told Joey.

'What do you mean?' Joey frowned, looking at his uncle.

'She told me Jake found a bag she'd packed and the money she'd been saving…he found it last night' he told him.

'Even more reason for her to look in the mirror. Next time he could kill her' Joey said through his teeth. He shrugged off his Uncle's hand and pushed the wheelchair into the room setting it by the bed. He pulled back the covers, picked her up and sat her down in the chair. He noticed she had a drip in her hand he ripped it out. She gave a tiny shriek of pain as the tears fell. Joey wheeled her into the bathroom and turned on the lights, sitting the wheelchair in front of the mirror. Lauren closed her eyes against the sudden brightness, her head pounded and she felt dizzy. 'Open your eyes. Look at what he's done to your face' Joey barked at her.

'No' she shook her head. Her head already felt like it was the size of a basketball and she felt terrible. She didn't need to look in a mirror to know she looked bad.

'Open your eyes and look in the mirror and tell me you're seriously planning on going back to him after this' he said to her.

'Why are you doing this?' Lauren's voice was thick with tears.

'Because you need to see what I see' he said his voice was softer when he spoke this time. 'Look at what he's done to you' Lauren opened her eyes and lifted her head. She didn't recognise the bruised and swollen face that was staring back at her; she didn't look like her anymore. Joey saw the surprise in her eyes and more tears fell, 'you can't stay with him, kitten. You have to leave him, for good this time. Or next time, it could be a lot worse'

'I have nowhere else to go' she said sadly, lowering her eyes so she didn't have to see herself.

'Yes, you do' Joey nodded his head as he crouched down beside her. 'When you get discharged you're coming back to mine' he told her firmly. Lauren looked up at him in surprise as he reached out and carefully brushed her tears away. Turning, he grabbed some toilet paper and handed it to Lauren 'I'll take care of you, and the baby' Lauren burst into tears, covering her face with her hands, Joey's heart felt like an ice cold fist was clenching around it. 'Did you… did you lose the baby?' he asked her, his voice cracking slightly as the words caught in his throat.

'Jake knows…he knows I'm pregnant' Lauren hiccupped 'he was trying to make me eat sushi and I refused. He tried to force me to eat it and I blurted out I was pregnant…' she told him, 'he went crazy…I've never seen him like that before' she frowned 'he told me to tell him who the father was but I refused. He was hitting me and kicking me, I think I even passed out from the pain once, when I came to he started again…but I didn't tell him' she said shaking her head 'I didn't tell him, Joey'

Joey blinked at her 'he did this to you because you wouldn't tell him I'm the father?' he asked her, his own eyes filled with tears as he realised Lauren had been protecting him, despite all the bad between them in the last few weeks. Guilt gripped his body as he realised this was all his fault. He should've stepped up earlier and admitted to her she was important to him. He should've kept her safe… her and the baby. 'Baby, you should've told him, better me than you having to face him' he said softly. 'Let's get you back into bed' he wheeled her back to the bed, lifted her out of the chair and lay her back down carefully in the bed, 'I'll get a nurse to come and fix your drip' he said as he pulled up the covers. He got as far as her stomach. He placed a shaky hand gently on her stomach 'and the baby's okay?' he asked her, looking deeply into her eyes, Lauren could feel warmth spreading out over her skin from beneath his hand.

'Yes, for now' Lauren nodded her head. She thought she saw relief in his eyes before he closed them and let out a breath. He removed his hand and pulled the covers the rest of the way up, sitting down again.

'Good' he said opening his eyes again, 'we'll make sure it stays that way, okay?' he asked her 'whatever the doctors tell you to do you do it' he instructed firmly, Lauren nodded her head. 'Do you know when you can come home?'

'The doctor said I might have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days' Lauren replied.

'Do you need anything?' he asked her.

'Jack was going to bring me some things in the morning.' she told him 'and he said he was going to call my mum'

'She should be here' Joey nodded his head in agreement 'You need her' Lauren nodded her head slightly, closing her eyes as she felt a wave of tiredness come over her. 'And you know what else you need to do?' Joey asked her.

'What?' she murmured

'Make a statement to the police…tell them this was Jake'

'I already told them I don't remember what happened' she said with a shaky voice.

'Well, now you do' he replied, she opened her eyes to look at him. 'He's not going to hurt you ever again, Kitten' he promised her 'I'm going to stay right here'

'You can't. Visitors hours will be over soon' her eyes fluttered shut again.

'They already are' Joey whispered and he stood, pressing his lips to her forehead 'I'm not going anywhere' he told her firmly. 'I'll get Jack to get the nurse' he whispered to her.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews. Well Joey got into to see Lauren and he forced her to look at herself in the mirror and see exactly what Jake had done to her. Well now we now that Jake knows Lauren has slept with someone else but he's clueless as to who that is. Is Joey going to be able to persuade her to make a statement to the Police this time? Is Jake going to come and visit? Has he realised she's missing yet? Back tomorrow. **


	104. Chapter 104

**Chapter One Hundred and Three**

Jack watched through the window as Joey tenderly kissed Lauren's forehead and sat down in the chair by her bed. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Sharon. She answered after three rings. 'Jack?' she sounded worried.

'Yeah it's me. We're at the hospital. Joey sweet talked the nurse into letting him see Lauren and I don't think he's going to be leaving her side anytime soon' he told her. 'He's worried Jake is going to come looking for her'

'Jake's here' Sharon said glancing down the bar, 'he's more than a little drunk. Came in five minutes after you both left' she told him. 'Asked where Joey was'

'What did you tell him?' he asked her, as Sharon glanced at Jake again, feeling more than a little scared of what he could do to Lauren if he found out about her and Joey.

'I told him he had the night off' Sharon said to him 'do you think he knows?'

'I listened to Joey and Lauren talking. Jake knows she's pregnant, but she didn't tell him it's Joey's'

'She didn't lose the baby?' Sharon lowered her voice as she walked into the office.

'No. Not so far' Jack said 'Listen, Sharon. Don't be too hard on Joey okay?

'He's lost me another member of staff, Jack…'

'I don't think it was like that' Jack said 'I'll talk to him about it later okay'

'Are you staying there?' Sharon asked him.

'Yeah. If Jake goes home and sees the back door broken he's going to put two and two together and he could come to the hospital. I need to be here to stop Joey from doing anything stupid and making this a hundred times worse than it already is'

'Okay' Sharon nodded her head 'just be careful, Jack, okay? I love you'

'Love you too, babe' Jack said and he hung up the phone.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren woke the next morning and she was stiff and sore. She also needed the bathroom urgently. She sat up slowly and swung her legs off the bed, sliding down to stand on the floor. A wave of dizziness hit her and she swayed unsteadily on her feet, black spots appeared in her vision and she knew she was about to faint.

When she came to instead of lying on the cold concrete floor she was surprised to discover she was back in bed. She blinked and frowned, wondering if she'd dreamt it. The overwhelming twinge in her bladder had gone.

'You're awake' Joey said as he came into the room with a plastic cup in his hand. 'How do you feel?' he asked her, setting his cup down on the bedside table, 'the one time I leave the room and you decide to choose that time to wake up' Joey admonished her softly, sitting down on the side of the bed, taking her hand in his.

'I thought…I thought I dreamt waking up' she frowned at him.

'What do you remember?' Joey asked her, absentmindedly playing with her fingers.

'I needed the bathroom' she said 'I got out of bed and felt dizzy…'

'You fainted' Joey told her 'I came back into the room and caught you just before you hit the floor' he said,' and put you back into bed'

'I needed to pee…' she frowned,

'You did' Joey admitted to her, 'the nurse changed your clothes…and the sheets'

'Oh' she frowned and went red, closing her eyes in embarrassment.

'Can I get you anything?' he asked her. 'Coffee or water?' he let her hand go and stood up.

Lauren shook her head, noticing that it hurt a little less this morning, 'did you stay here all night?' she asked him, moving her hand under the covers.

'Yes' Joey nodded his head 'I didn't want to leave you here by yourself in case Jake came back to finish what he'd started' he replied.

'Don't' Lauren sighed leaning back against the pillows.

'Lauren, you have to report him' Joey told her with a frown.

'No, Joey I don't' she snapped at him 'I'm sick and tired of being told what I have to do. This is my decision to make, not yours!'

'I'm only looking out for you' he frowned, confused by her sudden anger at him.

'I don't need you to. I don't want you to!' she told him, her temper climbing as the emotions from what Jae had done hit her. 'I can handle this myself'

'Yeah? By the look of your face you've handled things pretty well so far' he snapped at her. He sighed and blinked at her 'So that's all the thanks I get is it?'

'I didn't ask you to stay here, Joey' she shook her head.

'I'm here because I want to be' he told her 'because I was worried about you, about the baby'

'The baby you don't want anything to do with?' she frowned at him. She climbed out of the bed wincing slightly as she moved, clutching the bed as she tried to remain standing this time.

'What are you doing?' he asked her as she moved to the cupboard and started opening it and drawers looking for her clothes.

'I'm going home' she told him.

'You can't go home, babe' Joey told her softly. 'You have to be discharged first'

'Where are my clothes?' she looked around the room wondering where they could be 'I want to go home' she frowned.

Joey put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to stand still 'I know you want to go home, Lauren. But you need to wait to see what the doctor has to say, it's not just you you have to think about anymore' he said, 'you're pregnant' he told her 'please…just wait until the doctor's done his rounds, see what he says?'

Lauren sighed and shrugged his hands off her shoulders 'I want you to leave' she told him angrily 'I don't want you here'

'Don't be this way, please. I want to be here, Lauren, I want to help you' he told her 'we were friends once, I'd like to be friends again' he told her 'looks to me as though you could use a friend right now' he sighed 'I meant what I said about taking care of you' he said softly.

Lauren sighed, closing her eyes 'why are you being so nice to me?' she frowned at him, 'after everything I've said to you? After everything you've said to me…after everything that's happened in the last few weeks…?'

'You're in hospital' Joey said softly 'you want me to kick you when you're down?' he asked her.

'No' she replied softly, taking a deep breath 'I'm sorry' she whispered and she looked down 'I just…'

'It's okay' Joey shook his head 'you can yell at me all you like, but you're not going to get rid of me so easily this time' he replied.

She nodded her head, looking up at him 'good' she whispered softly. Joey smiled, pulling her into his arms as he hugged her gently, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

'You should get back into bed, kitten' he told her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren woke when she heard voices in her room. She frowned and opened her eyes 'Joey?' she croaked, her throat was dry.

'I'm here' he said sitting up, 'the doctor's here too' he said.

'Thirsty' she frowned. Joey turned and poured her some clean water, carrying the cup back to the bed. She sat up and took the cup from him, taking a few small sips, 'thank you' she looked at him briefly and then at the doctor.

'Hello Lauren, I'm Doctor Stanley, I was on shift when you were brought in yesterday. How do you feel?' he asked her

'A little stiff and sore' she said 'when can I go home?'

'That's what I was talking to your friend about' he said 'I think you can go home today' he told her 'but I want to make sure that you have someone to take care of you. I don't want you to go home if you're going to be by yourself. Your friend Joey here tells me you're going to go and stay with him for a few days until you're back on your feet'

'Yes' she nodded 'for a day or two' she glanced at Joey briefly before looking back at Doctor Stanley.

'Well, that's good. I'll arrange your discharge papers' he said with a smile.

'What about the baby?' Joey asked him 'is everything okay? 'Lauren looked at him, surprised he would be asking about the baby.

'The baby is fine, my colleague Doctor Rosen from Obstetrics consulted when Lauren was brought in and everything is fine' he told them both.

'Good' Joey said with a smile. The doctor left them alone and Lauren sighed in relief that she was being allowed to go home and not having to spend another night in the hospital. 'Have you thought anymore about what I said? Reporting Jake to the Police?' he asked her.

'He'll be long gone by now' she said with a sigh 'and it's his word against mine'

'No, I think you'll find your injuries speak for themselves and there's my statement from what I saw at the club…the way I've seen him treat you'

Lauren looked at him surprised 'you'd make a statement?' she asked him in surprise.

'Yes, of course I would' he nodded his head 'and I'm pretty sure Ricky would too' Joey told her. He glanced at the door and saw some Police Officers walking towards her room. 'Looks like you need to make up your mind, Lauren. I'll nip home and pack a few bits and pieces for you' he told her as the officers entered the room.

'Lauren Stone?' one of them asked her

'Yes' she nodded her head.

'I'll be back soon' Joey told her and walked out of the room, hoping Lauren was going to do the right thing'

**AN: Thanks for all your review. Well Joey spent the night at the hospital with Lauren and Jake stayed to make sure that if Jake turned up there'd be no trouble. And now Lauren's going to go back home with Joey when she is released from the hospital. Now the Police have returned to the hospital to interview Lauren again…what is she going to tell them? Back later tonight if you want another chapter? You know what to do! **


	105. Chapter 105

**Chapter One Hundred and Four**

When Joey came back Lauren's room was empty. He frowned and his heart began to race as he immediately thought the worst. He was about to go and find a nurse when he heard the toilet flush and then a few minutes later Lauren came out.

'You're back' she said surprised. She glanced down at the large suitcase he had in his hand. 'That doesn't look like a few days of clothes' she said to him.

'Well, I wasn't sure what you'd want to wear so I packed as much as I could' he told her.

'And you brought it all to the hospital with you because?' she questioned him.

'I thought you'd want to choose what you wanted to wear' he told her walking over and putting the case on the bed 'how did things go with the Police?' he asked her.

'I should get dressed' Lauren walked to the bed, ignoring his question and she unzipped the case and flipped the top back. She pulled out a pair of her knickers, a pair of grey sweatpants and a long sleeved t-shirt and she turned to take them into the bathroom.

'Are you just going to ignore the question?' Joey asked her.

'Yep. Pretty much' she replied closing the bathroom door behind her.

Joey rolled his eyes and sat down on the bed, zipping her case back up again. Half an hour later she came out of the bathroom and sat down in the chair. 'Can you put my shoes on for me please?' she asked him. He crossed the room, knelt down in front of her and slid her trainers on for her, tying the laces for her quickly. 'Thank you' she said.

'Can I get you anything?' he asked her 'Something to eat or drink?' he asked her

'I'm not hungry right now' she said shaking her head 'maybe later'.

'Has the doctor been back with your discharge papers?' Joey asked her, Lauren shook her head, 'I'll go and see if I can find out what the delay is' he said. He left the room and Lauren sighed, leaning her head back against the wall.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

'Looks like someone's ready and eager to go home' Jack said as he walked into the room.

Lauren looked up 'Hi. Yeah the doctor said I could go home today. Joey's just gone to chase up the discharge papers' she explained to him. 'Did you get in touch with my mum?'

'Yes, sweetheart, I did' he nodded his head 'She's on her way, she said she should be here this afternoon, I gave her my phone number and address. She's really worried about you' Jack told her and then he frowned. 'What's with the suitcase?' Jack nodded towards the bed.

'Joey packed some of my things. I don't really feel like going back to the house' Lauren said quickly.

'Oh well of course, I've spoken to Sharon and we'd be happy for you to come back to ours' Jack told her.

'She's coming back to mine' Joey said stepping into the room 'the doctor's signed off your papers so we're good to go' he looked at Lauren. She nodded her head and stood up gingerly.

'Let me drive you' Jack said,

'Thanks Mr. Branning' Lauren said softly.

'Hey, I thought we'd agreed on you calling me Jack' he smiled at Lauren as he reached for her suitcase and picked it up.

'You have to ride out in the wheelchair' Joey told Lauren 'hospital policy.' She nodded her head and sat down, relieved she wasn't going to have to walk because if she was honest, she wasn't sure she would make it halfway down the corridor. Once outside, Lauren got out of the chair and walked the few steps to the car. Jack opened the door for her whilst Joey took the wheelchair back inside. Once he got back to the car, he surprised Jack by getting in the back with Lauren. 'Are you okay?' he asked her. She nodded her head with a small smile. 'Okay we're ready to go, Uncle Jack' he glanced at his Uncle in the rearview mirror.

'All right, we'll soon have you home, sweetheart' Jack smiled at her as he started the engine.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Lauren was quiet in the car on the way home. She glanced down at her left hand. Her wedding band was still in place after Jake had practically forced it back on her hand after their row in the club. She could feel it there. It's presence almost searing her skin, feeling like a heavy weight on her hand. She tried to get it off but her wrist was sore, and her fingers were a little swollen. Joey reached across and he lifted her hand to his lips. He put her finger in his mouth, sucking it gently and when he pulled her finger out of his mouth the ring was gone. Joey opened his mouth, took the ring out and slipped it into his pocket. She felt tears roll down her cheek and sniffed. Joey put his arm around her and gave her a reassuring squeeze as he pulled her gently towards him. She sighed and laid her head against him. Jack glanced in the rear view mirror and saw Joey kiss the top of Lauren's head tenderly.

They reached Joey's flat and Jack got out of the car and grabbed the suitcase. Joey leapt out and rushed round to Lauren's door, opening it and helping her get out of the car. He put his arm around her and guided her towards the flat. He could feel her struggling to walk so he carefully lifted her into his arms. She gave a small gasp of pain as he jostled her slightly, even though he was being careful not to hurt her. She lay her head on his shoulder as he headed for the door.

'Jack can you get the door?' he asked his uncle 'key's in my right coat pocket' he said.

Jack got the keys and unlocked the door, watching with interest at the way Joey was being so careful and protective of Lauren. He carried her into the flat and straight through to the bedroom. Jack trailed behind, peering through the small crack in the door. He could hear Lauren crying softly as she leant against Joey. Joey sat down on the bed with her, sitting her on his lap. Jack put the case down on the floor by the bedroom door. He heard his nephew whisper something to Lauren he couldn't quite hear, but whatever it was it seemed to do the trick and her crying lessened.

Joey stood up and laid Lauren down on the bed. He reached past her to pull the covers from one side of the bed over her. He crouched down beside her and tenderly stroked her cheek. 'I'll be in the other room, talking to Jack, okay?' he asked her. She nodded her head once, 'try and get some sleep' he said softly. He stood up and gestured to his uncle to follow him. He pulled the bedroom door almost closed and walked further into the room. 'The nurse gave me a prescription for some pain relief for her… would you mind getting it, I don't want to leave her'

'I thought we could have that talk now' Jack asked him.

'It's complicated' Joey said to him 'can you get the prescription or not?' he looked at his uncle.

'Of course I can' he nodded his head, holding out his hand, Joey pulled the paper out of his pocket and handed it to him along with some money.

'Thanks' Joey said softly.

'You need to tell me what's going on here, mate' Jack told him

'I need to speak to Lauren first' he told him firmly.

Jack frowned 'this isn't the first time this has happened, is it?' he asked him 'Jake beating Lauren like this?'

'No, Jack. It isn't'' Joey shook his head but refused to say more.

Jack nodded his head 'I'll be as quick as I can' he told Joey, holding the prescription up.

'Thanks' Joey replied, seeing his uncle to the door. He glanced around the square before shutting and locking the door. Joey went back to the bedroom. He could hear Lauren crying softly. He walked into the room and crouched down beside her. 'It's okay…Jack's gone. I've sent him out to get your prescription' he told her softly 'Kitten, don't cry… it's all going to be okay'

'Is it?' she whispered brokenly 'I don't think it's ever going to be okay again' she shook her head.

'He's not going to get the chance to hurt you again' Joey promised her 'If he comes near you, I'll kill him' he vowed.

'You can't watch me 24/7, Joey' Lauren told him 'If Jake wants to find me, he will. He's already proven he can' she wiped her face, throwing back the covers and climbing out of bed.

'Where are you going? You need to rest' he told her

'I need the bathroom' she told him. Joey sighed, standing up to give her room to get up. She closed the bathroom door behind her. Joey went into the kitchen and checked the cupboards for food. He needed a few things, he pulled out his phone and called Jack, asking him to pick up a few bits for him while he was out.

Lauren came out of the bathroom and she walked into the lounge. She looked out of the window, across the square at her house. She stared at the house. She wondered what she was going to do now.

'Do you need some more things from the house?' Joey asked her startling her from her thoughts. She jumped and turned to face him, 'sorry' Joey said sheepishly 'I didn't mean to scare you' he told her. 'Listen, babe, Jack knows there's more going on here than I've told him. He wants some answers…I told him I needed to talk to you about it first' he looked at her.

'What does he want to know?' Lauren whispered quietly.

'He's already figured out this wasn't the first time Jake's done something like this and he knows you're pregnant' Joey replied 'He knows the baby is mine' Joey told her.

'Joey!' Lauren exclaimed, clearly upset he'd told his Uncle.

'Don't worry he's not going to say anything' he said reassuringly.

Lauren nodded her head 'that's probably for the best' she said

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well now Lauren is in Joey's flat and Uncle Jack has questions for them both. I loved the way Joey's so careful and protective of her, and the way he too her ring off for her…so cute. I wonder what Lauren meant when she said it was probably for the best? Back tomorrow. **


	106. Chapter 106

**Chapter One Hundred and Five**

Joey frowned 'what do you mean it's probably for the best?' he asked her.

'I don't know what I'm going to do now or where I'm going to go' she told him 'I could go back with my mum' she said

'What about me?' Joey asked her

'What about you, Joey?' she asked him 'you made your feelings pretty clear when I told you I was pregnant' she reminded him 'this isn't what you want…you've said that all along. We were only supposed to be a bit of fun…and it was fun, while it lasted' she admitted to him. 'Now it's over and I'm pregnant and …'

'It doesn't have to be over' Joey said. Lauren blinked, surprised 'and we both know it was more than a bit of fun…so much more'

'There was a time when I thought that was true' Lauren frowned at him. 'But not anymore. Look, I appreciate you bringing me back here and all, but as soon as I've figured out what I'm going to do I'll be out of your way' she told him.

'You don't have to leave, Lauren. You can stay here as long as you want to' he told her. 'We could start over, you and me…'

'This isn't what you want, Joey' she repeated 'I've already wasted enough of my life in a relationship that was bad for me, I'm not about to make the same mistake twice' she shook her head.

'What about what I want?' he frowned at her.

'And what's that Joey? You suddenly want a little pink house, with a white picket fence and a wife and kids?' she asked him 'because you really haven't been acting like it' she told him 'you've been screwing your way through the girls that come into the club like there was no tomorrow' she told him.

'I was angry and upset' he retorted.

'So was I! But I didn't go around fucking everything that moves. I wasn't flaunting it in your face to see if I could hurt you' she bit back.

'You slept with Jake' Joey fired back at her, his own temper rising.

'He's my husband' she frowned at him 'and it's not exactly like I had a choice in the matter. You on the other hand did'

'You broke up with me' he frowned at her.

'You were screwing around behind my back!' she shot back.

'No! I wasn't' Joey snapped at her 'that's what Jake told you and you believed him. The man who has lied to you and manipulated you for pretty much your whole life and you just believed him? You didn't even give me the chance to explain' he shouted at her.

'What's to explain?' she shouted back at him 'You haven't exactly been keeping it in your pants since then, have you?'

Joey blinked at her 'What was I supposed to do? Live like a monk? You made it pretty clear you didn't want anything to do with me…you wouldn't even listen to me…' he frowned at her 'you believed him over me…you chose him over me…' he said softly, his voice trailing off.

'Oh, is that what this is about? I bruised your ego? Lauren Stone, the first girl to ever dump Joey Branning. What? Didn't you like a taste of your own medicine?' she said getting angrier by the second. 'You know it's one thing to learn that your husband has a secret family you knew nothing about, but you…you convinced me it was okay to trust you. You said you wanted to look after me and protect me. You said you liked me and the whole time you were sleeping with other people behind my back…that's too much, Joey'

'For the last fucking time I was not cheating on you' he raised his voice 'I was faithful to you to whole time we were together' he glared at her angrily 'I didn't want anyone else, I just wanted you. I loved you' he snapped at her. 'I still love you!'

**AN: Thanks for your reviews. So it looks as though Joey and Lauren had a little talk about things…well a full scale row really and he said it! He said those three little words we've all been dying for him to say for a long time…but is he too late? I wonder what Lauren's reaction is going to be? I might be persuaded to post another chapter or even two more tonight…..you know what to do! **


	107. Chapter 107

**Chapter One Hundred and Six**

Lauren blinked as she replayed the last 30 seconds over in her head. She wasn't sure she'd heard what he'd said correctly. 'You love me?' she asked him, looking at him expectantly. Joey swallowed. Blurting it out like that in the middle of a pretty intense and heated argument wasn't exactly the way he'd wanted to tell her. But now he'd said those 3 little words he couldn't take them back. He didn't want to take them back. More importantly he didn't understand why they were called three little words, he pondered them in his head. They weren't little words, not really, not when they held huge meaning and repercussions once you said them. 'You love me?' she repeated.

'Yes' he replied quietly 'I tried not to, but it's not as though you get to pick and choose who you fall in love with, is it?' he said as he walked to the sofa and sat down, running his fingers through his hair, the anger and temper he'd felt moments earlier had dissipated. 'I hadn't planned on telling you like that' he admitted to her. 'Lauren, I know a lot has happened since we broke up and things have changed between us, but we were good together, weren't we? I mean we could get it back if we both wanted to' he looked up at her expectantly. 'If you give me another chance I'll prove to you I can be everything you need me to be.' Lauren just stared at Joey. There were so many times she'd longed to hear him say those three words to her. So many times she'd longed to say them to him, but she'd been scared as soon as those words left her mouth things would be over between them. She was scared she'd never be able to take those words back once she'd said them if he didn't feel the same way. But Joey had been the first one to say it. He loved her. She frowned, wondering why she wasn't throwing herself into his arms and whispering the words back to him. This had been what she wanted for a long time. But now, suddenly, she wasn't sure. 'I can be a good father, Lauren' he told her softly 'I want to be a father' his eyes fell to her stomach 'I know this wasn't what we agreed when we first started this and I'm sorry about the way things ended. I'm sorry about the things I said to you in the club when you came to see me, when you told me you were pregnant' he said 'to be honest you were the last person I expected to see coming down those stairs and those were the last words I expected you to ever hear you say. It threw me' he told her.

'It wasn't the news I was expecting either' she told him. 'I wasn't exactly overjoyed when the doctor told me I was pregnant. I think I scared him when I burst into tears and cried for over an hour. I thought we were being careful'

'Not always' Joey admitted to her. 'Especially not the last time we were together' he said sheepishly.

'Yeah, thanks. I'd kind of figured that out for myself' she said softly rolling her eyes. 'This is such a mess' she said with a sigh as she sat down next to him. She covered her face with her hands and took a few deep breaths before she lowered her hands and turned to look at him. 'What you said in the club, it really hurt Joey'

'I know' he nodded his head.

'Were you careful with the others…after me?' she asked him.

Joey sighed and closed his eyes 'No. Not with Lucy or with Rebecca' Joey admitted to her.

'So you could have got Lucy and Rebecca pregnant too?' Lauren looked at him in disbelief. 'Jesus, Joey!'

'I know, I know. I was stupid. My head was all over the place. I wasn't thinking clearly.'

'Oh you were thinking okay, just not with your head' Lauren frowned at him 'what exactly are you going to do if they both turn out to be pregnant too?' she asked him.

'I'll cross that bridge if and when I come to it' he told her. Lauren shook her head 'I know I'm a dick' he told her.

'King of dicks' she said 'it's your new title'

'I should've stepped up, told Jake how it was and got you out of there before any of this happened' he told her softly 'I don't know why I didn't' he said with a frown.

'I do' Lauren said 'because I wouldn't let you' she said 'I was scared once I was away from Jake, you wouldn't want me anymore' she told him 'you wouldn't need to save me, protect me anymore…why would you still want to be with me?'

'I love you' Joey said simply 'Isn't that reason enough?' he asked her.

'I didn't know you did at the time though, did I?' she frowned at him.

'No, I guess not' he said a small smile on his lips. 'But I've told you before now' he said to her.

Lauren frowned and shook her head 'no you haven't' she replied.

'Yes. I have' he nodded his head. 'On your birthday' he told her 'just after we'd finished dinner in the hotel restaurant' he said to her.

Lauren's frown grew deeper 'I would've remembered if you'd told me you loved me'

Joey smiled at her 'it was the necklace I gave you…you remember the raised bumps on the back of the pendant?' Lauren nodded her head 'It's braille. I had it engraved there…it says "I love you"' he told her.

Lauren blinked at him 'you said you didn't know what it was, you said it was there when you brought it' she said. He nodded his head and smiled at her sadly.

'I know, I thought I was going to be able to say it, to tell you how I felt about you on your birthday but I was scared…scared you wouldn't say it back' he told her.

'I would've done' she told him, meeting his gaze 'I would've said it back…I didn't know you loved me…' she repeated.

'Would it have changed things if you did?' he asked her 'would you have let me help you?' he asked her.

'You did help me' Lauren said softly 'More than you know'

'But it wasn't enough was it?' Joey said looking at her face 'I should've done more…I should've told Jake about us, moved you in with me, then this wouldn't have happened'

'Joey, this isn't your fault' Lauren told him softly.

'Isn't it?' he replied 'you were protecting me, by not telling Jake the baby is mine. Maybe this wouldn't have happened to you if I had…' he trailed off as his eyes filled with tears.

'Don't, Joey. It's happened. There's nothing you can do to change it or stop it from happening' Lauren told him, reaching over and taking his hand. 'You don't know what Jake is like, what he's capable of…he knows people, a lot of people in powerful places, his dad knows people…'

'He's not going to hurt you again' Joey told her resolutely. 'I promise you that. I'll kill him before he gets the chance to'

Lauren stared at him. She knew he meant it. She knew Joey would do anything it took to protect her. She opened her mouth to speak but the door buzzer interrupted her.

'That'll be Jack' Joey said, getting up and walking to the door.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey opened the door to the flat and found Jack wasn't alone. Sharon was with him. Lauren could see the horror on her face as she saw her.

'Jesus! Lauren!' Sharon's hand covered her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. She rushed over to Lauren and sat beside her, 'Look at you. Darling, why didn't you tell us what was happening? We would've helped you…'

'You couldn't' Lauren said shaking her head 'no one could' she looked down 'I think I'm going to lie down' she said getting up and walking through to the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

'Did she talk to the Police?' Joey asked Jack.

'No' Jack shook his head. 'I spoke to an old friend there and he made some enquiries and told me Lauren told the officers that she couldn't remember anything'

'What about Jake? Have the Police at least taken him in for questioning?'

'There's nothing they can do' Jack said. 'Not until she makes a statement, presses charges'

'So he's just walking around out there without a care in the world?' Joey frowned at him. 'No. I'm not having that' he said, heading towards the door.

Jack grabbed his arm 'and what do you think you can do about it?' Jack asked him. 'Beat the crap out of him, get yourself arrested? That girl in the bedroom needs you, Joey' he told him 'She needs you' Joey sighed, closing his eyes.

'What am I supposed to do if she won't press charges?' he asked him.

'She's scared, Joey' Sharon said softly. 'She's been living in fear of her husband for a long time. It's all she knows. And whether it makes sense or not it's going to be hard for her to give evidence against him. To put a stop to the abuse once and for all'

Joey looked at her, knowing she was making sense. 'So how do I get her to press charges against him, to file for divorce? Hell, even to get a restraining order?'

'You can't' Jack said to him 'that's something she needs to do on her own. You've tried to get her to leave him before and she didn't. Not because she didn't want to but because she was too scared to. She plucked up the courage to do it once and he found her. She was planning on leaving him again and he found out and this is the result. She's terrified of him, Joey'

'I know' Joey nodded his head 'I know'

'All you can do is be there for her, do what you're doing now' Jack said softly.

'Jake knows she's pregnant' Joey told him 'she wouldn't tell him who…' Joey trailed off. 'She was protecting me' he looked up at his uncle 'he did this to her because of me'

**AN: Thank you for your reviews **** I think that maybe Lauren is feeling a little overwhelmed by Joey's revelation that he loves her. Maybe she's not entirely convinced that he does…and he told her about the necklace…Oh dear he's also aware he may have gotten Lucy and Rebecca pregnant too! I think Lauren needs some time to think about things and figure out what she needs to do…what she wants. If you want another chapter tonight you know what you need to do! **


	108. Chapter 108

**Chapter One Hundred and Seven**

Lauren slept for four hours straight. Joey was sitting in a chair by the bed when she woke up, much like he'd been when she was in the hospital. She groaned as she tried to sit up.

'Careful, baby' Joey was up out of the chair and by her side in a second.

'I'm going to be sick…' she whimpered. Joey peeled back the covers, scooped her out of the bed and carried her into the bathroom. As soon as he set her on the floor, she dropped to her knees and threw up into the toilet bowl. Joey pulled her hair back and rubbed her back gently. She sank back onto her heels when she was done and Joey flushed the toilet, leaving her briefly to get some water.

'Here you go, feel better?' he handed her the glass.

'Yes, thank you' she took the glass and rinsed her mouth, spitting it into the toilet before taking a drink. 'Can you…can you help me take a shower?' she asked him.

'Sure, of course I can' Joey nodded, helping her to her feet 'now?'

'Yeah, I feel…yucky, and my hair needs to be washed…' she told him. She put the toilet seat down and sat down on it, taking another drink of water. 'I don't want mum to see me like this'

'Okay babe' he said softly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

After the shower, Joey took Lauren into the lounge and heated her up some soup. After she'd eaten, Joey cleared up everything and then made them some coffee. They sat on the sofa together and Lauren looked at the time.

'Shouldn't you be at the club?' she asked him.

'I told you I wasn't going to leave you' Joey told her softly 'and I meant it' he said to her 'and besides I don't work at the club anymore. Sharon fired me after she found out about us'

'Oh' she frowned.

'But even if I still had a job I wouldn't be going in, not tonight' he told her.

'I'm sorry' she whispered softly.

'For what?' he frowned at her.

'That I dragged you into this' Lauren told him.

'You didn't drag me into anything' Joey told her. 'If anyone's to blame for starting this, it's me. I was the one who pursued you. You made it clear you weren't interested in a relationship and I pushed you into it' he told her 'all of this is my fault. I should've respected your wishes instead of taking it as a challenge to get you into bed' he licked his lips with a sigh 'I have money saved and I'm going to get you some place safe where Jake can never find you' Joey told her 'Jack can help me…'

'So…you want me to leave?' she asked him 'what about everything you said to me earlier, was that just another lie?'

'No' Joey told her 'It wasn't a lie. Of course I don't want you to leave. I want you here with me' he told her 'but it's not going to be safe here for you with Jake being around. If you went to the Police...' he trailed off.

'I know' Lauren nodded her head 'what if they don't believe me?' she looked at him and he could see the fear in her eyes. 'Jake always said they'd never believe me'

'He lied, baby' Joey told her 'he lied because he knew they would. I can be there with you if you want me to. Or Jack or dad or your mum?'

'I don't want mum to hear…' she trailed off and looked down at her hands, clasping them in her lap. 'She'll know I lied to her for so long, she'll be angry…upset'

No, she won't. And if she is, it won't be with you. It'll be with Jake. You lied because you were afraid and she'll understand that' he said putting his arm around her shoulders pulling her closer to him 'you don't need to be afraid anymore, Lauren. It's over' he told her 'I'm going to keep you safe. You and the baby' he pressed his lips to the top of her head. She closed her eyes.

'Promise?' she whispered.

'I promise' he replied.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

An hour later, Lauren had fallen asleep again on the sofa. The sound of the door buzzer filled the flat, his eyes shot to Lauren and he saw her stirring. He rushed down the stairs, opening the door finding Jack and Sharon standing there with a woman he didn't recognise and he assumed it was Lauren's mum.

'You'd better come in' Joey said. 'She was asleep but the door…' he trailed off.

Joey led them up the stairs 'Joe…' Lauren whispered.

'I'm here' he said 'it's okay. Jack and Sharon have brought your mum over'

'Mum?' Lauren pushed back the blanket and sat up 'mum?'

'I'm here, Lauren. I'm here' Tanya said pushing her way into the room, Lauren burst into tears at the sight of her. Tanya took her into her arms and held her daughter as she cried.

'We should give them some time' Jack told Joey.

Joey swallowed 'I don't want to leave her…' Joey told him.

'He's at the club' Sharon said 'Ricky called'

Jack saw the anger rise in Joey's eyes and he nodded his head 'Then we go to the club' he told them, heading out of the flat with a backward glance at Lauren. Jack and Sharon on his heels.

**AN: As promised here is a third chapter tonight. Thank you for all your reviews **** Well….lets hope that Lauren is going to make a statement to the Police. I hope Tanya makes her see that she needs to. And Jake's at the club and Joey and Jack are on their way over there….I hope Joey doesn't do something stupid! Back tomorrow xx**


	109. Chapter 109

**Chapter One Hundred and Eight**

Lauren's crying had subsided a little and Tanya pulled her back to look at her. 'Sweetheart why didn't you tell me things were bad between you and Jake?' she asked her.

'I didn't think….I didn't want you to worry…' Lauren said to her.

'You're my daughter. I'll always worry about you. It's all part of being a mother. When you have children of your own you'll know that' Lauren nodded her head. 'Why did Jake do this to you?' Tanya asked her.

'I was going to try to leave him again…he found my bag and money…' Lauren told her.

'Again?' Tanya frowned at her 'I don't understand'

'It's a long story' Lauren sighed.

'I think it's time you told me' Tanya said to her 'Early on in your marriage I thought something was wrong but I convinced myself I was just being over protective…that I was lonely. You had your own life to lead…and I had to start to live mine, take a leaf out of your book' she said with a sad smile. 'I had no idea your life with Jake was like this' she told her 'I should've known something was wrong'

'How could you? I lied to you, I told you everything was fine, I told you I was happy. There was no reason for you not to believe me' Lauren said quietly. 'I'll make some tea' she said getting up and walking slowly into the kitchen.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jack, Sharon and Joey walked into the club, Ricky was behind the bar alone.

'Am I glad to see you? We're really busy' he said to them, relief flooding over his face.

'I'll help' Sharon said, moving behind the bar 'Yes, darling' she smiled at the men waiting to be served 'what can I get you?'

Jack ducked behind the bar and he poured two generous scotches, handing one to Joey. 'Why don't we take a seat, hey?' he asked him, leading Joey to a table. The two men sat down and Joey scanned the club until he found Jake.

'Look at him' Joey frowned 'he's out here drinking and he doesn't care that Lauren's…'

'She's safe now, Joey' Jack reminded him. 'He may not have even been home yet and seen she's missing. He may think she's still locked up in the house'

Joey looked at him and nodded his head 'maybe' he said 'but still…'

'He's coming over' Jack said. Joey picked up his drink and drank it down in one.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren put the tray down on the coffee table. 'When did it start?' Tanya asked her before she'd even sat down.

Lauren sighed 'before we were married' Lauren admitted to her.

'He's hit you before?'

'Not like this' Lauren said quickly, 'before we were married it was more the things he would say to me more than anything else' she told her.

'So he hit you after you were married?' Tanya asked her.

'Sometimes.' Lauren nodded her head 'nothing like this though. Just a slap across the face or a punch in the ribs' she told her mother.

Tanya looked at her daughter 'you should've come to me, you should've talked to me' she told her 'you came to see me not so long ago, you could've told me then' she looked at Lauren expectantly.

'I couldn't' Lauren shook her head 'all the times I called you was when Jake was in the room with me listening to every word I said. He wouldn't let me come and visit you and he wouldn't let you visit me… He took my phone away from me. I had no friends he made sure of that' she told her mother.

'So why did he let you visit not so long ago?' she asked her.

'That was because of Joey' Lauren said a small smile on her lips. 'He persuaded Jake to let me come and see you' she told her.

'Why didn't you tell me then?' Lauren asked her 'you had a phone then'

'Joey again' Lauren said. 'When Jake found me here, he befriended Joey. He told Joey he needed someone to watch me, to make sure I stayed out of trouble, to make sure I didn't take off in the middle of the night. Jake took away my passport, my driver's license, my birth certificate so even if I did leave him I wouldn't be able to get another job, earn my own money' Lauren explained to her 'what Jake didn't know was Joey and I were already friends and Joey told me everything Jake told him and sometimes…sometimes when Jake was away on business Joey would arrange it so I could go out with his sister, Alice and have dinner at his dad's place. Sometimes he'd take me and Alice out too'

'Joey?' Tanya asked her 'is this the boy whose flat you're staying in?'

'Yes' Lauren nodded. 'When I first moved here, everyone was so friendly, so helpful. Joey's the head barman at the club I worked in. His Aunt Sharon runs the place and his Uncle Jack is the one who called you. I lied to everyone when I came here. I used my maiden name and just said I fancied a change of scene. No one seemed to question it. No one seemed to know I was lying. And then one day Jake turned up' she told him 'I thought he was going to kick off and drag me back home but he decided he was going to stay here too' Lauren said to her 'he let me keep my job here, but he took my bank card away so I couldn't get any money out…'

'So how did you save up the money he found?'

'Jack told me I deserved a pay rise…cash in hand. He's been giving me money for months and I've been hiding it until it was time to go and Ricky gave me some money too. He's another barman at the club'

'And what made it time to go now?' Tanya asked her. Lauren looked at her and she licked her lips. 'I'm pregnant and I was afraid the same thing that happened before would happen to this baby…' she trailed off.

'You had a miscarriage before' Tanya said to her confusion clear in her voice.

'Because Jake punched me in the face and I fell down the stairs' Lauren said and she looked down.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

'Joey!' Jake grinned as he took a seat at the table 'makes a change to see you the other side of the bar. Night off?'

'Yeah, something like that' Joey nodded his head. 'Jack, how about another drink?' he pushed his glass towards his Uncle 'same again please' Jack narrowed his eyes at him but got up, picking up his glass. Joey waited until Jack was out of earshot. 'So, how's Lauren?'

'She's good' Jake nodded 'at home being the dutiful wife'

'Is that right?' Joey nodded his head 'and how's the girlfriend?'

'She's great' he told him 'in fact she's overdue a visit so I'll be out of town for a while. I trust you can keep an eye on Lauren for me' he looked at his friend pointedly.

'So…this girlfriend of yours…does she know about Lauren?'

'No, of course not' Jake shook his head

'And she's happy the way things are?'

'Yes' Jake frowned. 'What's with the twenty questions?'

'No reason' Joey said with a shrug. 'Are heading off soon? I haven't see Lauren for a while, I'd like to catch up'

'Well I wasn't planning to' Jake said 'it's still early' he looked at his watch.

Jack came back with a drink for Joey and put it down on the table. 'What did I miss?' he asked looking pointedly at Joey.

'Nothing. I was just saying it would be nice to see Lauren. We miss her not working at the club anymore. Jake here was just about to head home and I said I'd tag along, see Lauren, catch up' Joey explained to him.

'Yeah' Jack nodded his head 'that's a good idea. We owe her some wages' he looked at Jake. 'So shall we go then?' he stood up.

'Joey hasn't finished his drink' Jake replied, pointing at the glass. Joey picked it up and drank it down in one go, barely tasting the burning liquid as it slid down his throat.

'I'm good' Joey said as he licked his lips. He pushed his chair back noisily and stood up.

Jake frowned, wondering what the rush to see Lauren was all about. He stood up looking at them both expectantly, 'after you' Jack said.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews… well there could be more multiple chapters for you all tonight… that's up to you! You know what you need to do. Tanya has finally arrived and everyone's left them alone to talk. And Sharon, Ricky and Joey have headed to the club after a call from Ricky telling them Jake was there. They want to see Lauren and is it just me but Jake seem a bit nervous about that? Next chapter up later tonight if you want it.**


	110. Chapter 110

**Chapter One Hundred and Nine**

'But Jake was upset at the hospital when you miscarried' Tanya said to her 'I saw him' she frowned.

'He's the world's best actor' Lauren told her 'he wasn't upset in the least' she shook her head 'he told me he was glad I lost the baby. That he should've thought about pushing me down the stairs sooner'

'And you're pregnant again?' Tanya asked her

'Yes' Lauren nodded 'nearly 7 weeks'

'And Jake only just found out?'

'Yes' Lauren nodded her head again and she moved forward to pick up her tea. She took a tentative sip and put the cup back down on the table. 'Jake doesn't want kids, at least not with me' she said 'he has two kids already' Lauren turned to face her mother. 'I should never have married Jake. I wasn't even in love with him. I mean at the time I thought I was, I was caught up in the whirlwind of it…I didn't even like sex with him' she closed her eyes 'I don't like sex with him. He only married me because his parents made him and he's resented me for it for all this time. I've asked him so many times for a divorce but he refused each time, saying his parents wouldn't like it. He told me I was his wife and he meant the vows that he took, especially the death do us part one' she looked down 'he doesn't always hit me' Lauren said 'he's hit me more since we've been here than anywhere else'

'Did you go to the Police?' Tanya asked her 'The first time?'

'No' Lauren shook her head 'I threatened him with it though, I told him if he hit me again I would. And he didn't, not for a long time. He lived his life and I lived mine. I'd been thinking about leaving him for a long time, but there hadn't been many opportunities to do so. He stopped me coming to see you and he was always around. He had someone watching me too. One of his chef's at the restaurant. If he had to leave for a few days then his mate would always be around'

'What changed?' Tanya asked her softly.

'He went to America. Took his mate with him. And I knew that was my chance. If I was going to go I had to go then' Lauren said. 'So I boxed up the house and took off my wedding ring and left in the middle of the night. I had money saved, he'd been paying me to work at the restaurant and I saved every single penny of that money. It wasn't much but it was enough to get me a fresh start and I'd already got another job so I knew I was going to be okay' Lauren told her mother with a smile. 'I got a phone and made friends. I liked it here. I felt like I belonged here. Joey has extended family here and they've all welcomed me with open arms. For the first time ever I knew what it was like to be a part of a family. I wasn't pathetic, stupid Lauren Stone anymore. I was Lauren Cross again. And for the first time in a long time I was happy' Lauren said with another small smile. 'I wanted to tell you I'd left and where I was but I was afraid Jake would find me...or you'd tell him where I was. I remembered you telling me you used to live here and I thought if I came here I'd be closer to you somehow. I missed you so much mum' Lauren said as the tears started to fall again.

'Oh darling…' Tanya whispered, taking her daughter into her arms.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

The three men walked towards Jake's house. Jake was getting more anxious by the second. They walked up to the front door and Jake took his time finding his keys.

'You know, Lauren's probably asleep' he told them both. 'Why don't you both stop by in the morning? I can give her the wages she's owed' Jake turned to Jack and held his hand out.

'I'd rather give them to her myself' Jack said 'if you don't mind'

'I have the set of keys you gave me right here' Joey said pulling his key ring out of his pocket. He reached past Jake to unlock the door. 'There you go. After you' Joey said. Jake swallowed nervously as he stepped into the flat.

'Lauren? …Sweetheart?' Jake called out. He held his breath as he waited for her reply, pleased when none came. 'See, like I said she's asleep'

'We'll still come in if it's all the same to you' Jack said. He closed the door behind him. Joey paused at the lounge, seeing the broken coffee table, the broken glass and the blood on the carpet. He felt himself getting angrier as he saw the place Lauren was obviously beaten.

'What happened here?' Joey asked him.

'I was drunk' Jake said 'I fell onto the coffee table and cut my leg' he lied smoothly. If both Jack and Joey didn't know the truth they wouldn't have thought to question his explanation. 'How about a beer?' Jake said leading them through to the kitchen. He faltered when he saw the shattered kitchen door.

'Wow…looks like you've been broken into' Jack said to him 'we'd better call the Police'

'No, it's okay. It's probably just kids' Jake shook his head 'I'll patch it up, call someone out tomorrow'

'Don't you want to check and make sure Lauren's okay?' Joey asked him. 'It could've been a burglar and she could be lying upstairs hurt or worse, if she interrupted them'

Jake nodded his head and he turned to go to the stairs. They both saw the colour had drained from his face 'or we could save you the trouble' Jack said to him. 'Lauren's fine. She's some place safe where you won't get to hurt her anymore' he told him, his voice harder that it was before, all pleasantries gone. Jake seemed to shrink a few inches under Jack's gaze. 'She spent the night at the hospital and was released this morning'

'She didn't get anything she didn't deserve' Jake said with a frown 'the bitch has been cheating on me' he spat out.

'Aren't you cheating on her too?' Joey asked him. 'You have a girlfriend and 2 kids the other side of London' he reminded him 'isn't that a little hypocritical of you? She's only doing what you're doing'

'She told me she was pregnant. Who in their right mind would want to fuck that I don't know? I ain't raising another man's kid'

'No one is asking you to' Jack said, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

Joey reached into his pocket and then pushed Jake up against the wall, grabbing his face in his hands. 'I have something for you. From Lauren' he said holding up her wedding ring. 'She's going to file for divorce in the morning on the grounds of adultery and spousal abuse and you're not going to contest it. In fact you're going sign the papers as soon as you get them. In the meantime you're going to get her birth certificate, the marriage certificate, her passport and driver's license…everything of hers you stole and you're going to put them through the letterbox at the club. Then you are going to leave the restaurant you have here to Lauren and then you're going to leave Walford and if you ever set foot back here I swear to God I will kill you' he forced the ring into Jake's mouth and then pressed his hand over his mouth so he couldn't spit it out 'am I making myself clear?' Jake nodded his head. 'Good' Joey said. He leant closer to Jake and lowered his voice to a whisper 'and for the record, _mate_. I was the one fucking your wife and I have to tell you, she is incredible in the sack…well anywhere to be exact. We even fucked here once, up against the wall by the front door whilst you were passed out drunk on the sofa. All those times you asked me to watch her…we were fucking' Joey told him. Oh and in case you were wondering? The baby is mine' he said with a smirk. He pushed hard on Jake's face, hitting his head on the door of the fridge before letting him go. He took a step back and reveled in the look of surprise on Jake's face. 'You know the old saying, keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer?' Joey smiled at him.

Jake spat the ring out onto the floor 'you've been sleeping with my wife?' Jake blinked at him in astonishment.

'Someone had to. You clearly weren't giving her what she needed, what she deserved. A beautiful sexy girl like that wasted on a low life piece of scum like you'

'I trusted you' Jake said.

'And that just made it all the more exciting, for the both of us and more fool you' Joey replied. Jake clenched his fist and swung at Joey. Joey blocked the punch, raising his own fist, swinging it, stopping it just before it connected with Jake's face. He let out a soft laugh 'you're not worth it' he said dropping his fist, surprising both Jack and Jake. Joey turned and walked towards the front door.

'You're not man enough to hit me!' Jake called after him. 'You're just a coward'

'The only one who is a coward here is you. You're the one who beats up women' Jack said 'Joey's just proven that between the two of you he's the bigger man and he can walk away. He's a good kid. He's going to make a great father, a great husband one day. He's grown up a lot since Lauren came here, must be something to do with all the time they've spent together. Me? I'm old' he said with a sigh 'set in my ways…can't teach an old dog new tricks and all that' he said 'I'm more than happy to sink to your level' Jack told him with a grin. He punched Jake hard in the face grinning in satisfaction when he felt and heard his nose break.

'That's assault!' Jake called after him, his voice muffled by his hands 'I'll have the Police onto you'

'I'll send them over when they've finished talking to Lauren. She's pressing charges' Jack called over his shoulder as he followed Joey out of the house.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well what did you think of that chapter? I think Jake got told a few home truths don't you? I think Joey loved telling him that he was the one Lauren was cheating on Jake with…I actually thought Joey was going to punch him but he didn't and I for one am very proud he didn't sink to his level…But Uncle Jack, however….YAY! So if you want another chapter tonight….you know what to do! Xx **


	111. Chapter 111

**Chapter One Hundred and Ten**

Lauren came back from the bathroom after splashing some cold water on her face when her latest bout of crying had ended. 'Sorry' she said to her mother as she sat down.

'You don't need to apologise, Lauren' Tanya told her with a shake of her head. 'You've been through a lot' Lauren looked down at her left hand. The wedding ring no longer there as a constant reminder of her unhappy life and marriage. 'I understand why you didn't tell me what was going on in your marriage and I'm not angry at you. You must have been so afraid' she said wiping her own eyes.

'I was. The only person I told was Joey. He was my best friend. I trusted him' she said 'He'd told me things he'd never told anyone else and I knew I could tell him things too. When I did it was like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. He gave me a key to his flat and told me anytime I needed to get away I could come here. There were so many times he tried to persuade me to leave Jake, he said he would help me, with money with everything'

'But you didn't leave?' Tanya said to her.

Lauren shook her head 'I was scared Jake would find me again. I was so careful last time not to leave any clues behind…I don't know how he found me' she frowned 'Jake wasn't always horrible…sometimes he could be nice' Lauren said 'but ultimately I was afraid of him…and I didn't want to leave Albert Square'

'You know what I think you should do?' Tanya said to her.

'What?' Lauren looked at her anxiously.

'I think you need to call the Police. You need to make a statement sweetheart. You need to press charges and have him locked up. Before he does this to someone else'

'That's what Jack, Sharon and Joey say' Lauren said.

'You know what, baby? They're all right' Tanya nodded her head.

Lauren stood up and walked into the bedroom, returning moments later with a little white card one of the Police Officers had given her at the hospital. She picked up the phone by the door and dialed the number with shaking hands.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

After a brief conversation, Lauren hung up the phone with a sigh and she turned to look at Tanya. 'You've made the right choice and I for one think you're being very brave' Tanya told her.

'I don't feel very brave' Lauren said as new tears rolled down her cheeks.

'Well you are' Tanya crossed the room, brushing her hair gently behind her ear 'you are the bravest person I know' she told her softly, wrapping her arms around her. Lauren let her hold her for a while, then she pulled out of her arms and picked up the phone again, dialing another number. Tanya wondered who she was calling.

It rang a few times before he answered.

'Hey. Is everything okay?' Jack said the worry and concern clear in his voice.

'The Police will be here soon and I want you to be here when I talk to them' she said quietly.

'Of course. We're on our way' he told her looking at his nephew.

'Thank you' Lauren whispered softly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren walked to the window and peered out. 'Who are you looking for sweetheart?' Tanya asked her.

'There's lights on at the house' she said, her hand gripping the curtains tightly. 'He'll know that I'm gone'

Tanya got up off the sofa and walked over to her. They both saw lights come on in the bedroom and a figure standing at the window. 'Come away from the window' Tanya told her, guiding her away and seating her on the sofa.

'What if he comes looking for me? What if he realises I'm here?' Lauren was on the verge of panic.

'Sweetheart, the Police are on their way over here and whoever you called on the phone will be here soon too right?'

'Jack' Lauren said 'I called Jack. Joey's with him too'

'Joey seems like a nice boy' Tanya said changing the subject. 'Why don't you tell me some more about him? You said he had an extended family here?'

Lauren looked at her, nodding her head. 'He has his dad and his sister Alice, she's a couple of years younger than me and we're good friends…Derek, Joey's dad raised them both pretty much on his own after his wife left him for another man…' she trailed off as her eyes moved to the window again.

'And who else?' Tanya asked her hoping to distract her again.

'Jack and Sharon, you met both of them earlier. Jack is Derek's youngest brother…then there's Max too, Jack's middle brother. He owns the Branning and Son car lot, then there's Carol, Jack's sister and her daughter Bianca. Her kids…' she jumped as they heard the bottom door to the flat open. She grabbed Tanya's hand and her eyes were fixed on the door. Tanya heard her suck in her breath. The door to the flat opened and Joey came in followed by Jack.

'Lauren, what's wrong?' Joey asked as soon as he saw her, seeing the fear in the way she was sitting and on her face.

'There's someone at the house' she told him.

'It's Jake' Jack said softly 'don't worry, you're not going to get any more trouble from him' he closed the door behind him.

'What did you do?' Lauren frowned her eyes not leaving Joey's.

'What I should have done a long time ago' Joey told her.

'Please tell me you didn't hit him' Lauren looked at him shaking her head 'please tell me you didn't'

'Of course I didn't' Joey rolled his eyes 'you know me better than that'

'Joey, why don't you take Tanya to the Vic to get a drink' Jack said 'Lauren and I will talk to the Police when they get here?' he suggested.

'That's a good idea' Lauren nodded her head. Tanya picked up her handbag and walked over to Joey.

'You don't want me to stay' Joey asked, feeling a little hurt.

Lauren looked at him and she shook her head 'No. I don't' she told him 'This is going to be hard enough as it is without you hearing about everything…' she trailed off 'please?' she asked him. Joey sighed, nodding his head in understanding.

'Okay, you'll call me when you're done?' he asked her. Lauren nodded her head.

'I promise' she whispered softly. 'Where are you staying, mum?' she asked suddenly.

'She's staying with me and Sharon' Jack told her.

'If you want she can stay here' Joey suggested to Lauren softly. 'I'm sure Jack wouldn't mind putting his favourite nephew up for a few days'

'No. I'll stay with Jack. You call me when the Police have gone okay?' Tanya told Lauren. Lauren nodded her head 'Remember, you're being very brave and I'm so proud of you' Tanya told her softly. 'I'll see you soon sweetheart'

'Okay' Lauren nodded her head

'I love you, darling'

'I love you too, mum' Lauren replied.

Joey winked at Lauren as they left and she turned to look at Jack. 'He's not going to hurt you anymore. You're doing the right thing'

'What if he hurts you or Joey?' Lauren looked at him as fresh anxiety ran through her.

'He won't' Jack took the fragile shaking girl in his arms and held her tightly 'don't be silly' he whispered.

Lauren stiffened when they heard the door buzzer. Jack kissed the top of her head and got up walking to the door and down the stairs. A few moments later she heard footsteps coming up the stairs and a male and a female Police officer came into the flat, followed by Jack.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews! I think it is safe to say that you all enjoyed the last chapter! There is still plenty more to come with this story…. And Tanya has finally done what Joey has been trying to do for a long long time. Lauren is going to the Police…and she's still terrified deep down that no one will believe her! Poor Joey though….she doesn't want him to hear what she went through… Leave me a review….you might get one more chapter tonight! **


	112. Chapter 112

**Chapter One Hundred and Eleven**

'Lauren Stone?' the female officer asked her, Lauren nodded her head. 'I'm PC Taylor and this is my colleague DC Andrews. We understand you've changed your mind and want to make a statement about how you sustained your injuries?'

'Yes' Lauren said quietly. She looked at Jack briefly before looking back at the Police officers. 'Can…can Jack stay?' she asked them.

'Of course' PC Taylor nodded her head.

'Please sit down' Jack said gesturing to the sofa 'can I get you anything to drink? Tea or coffee?'

'We're fine thank you' DC Taylor smiled at Jack. Jack sat down next to Lauren. 'Okay, we're ready to start when you are Lauren'

'Okay' Lauren said softly.

'As you know we visited you in the hospital after you were admitted further to a phone-call from the Doctor on the ward who treated you. You told us at the time you couldn't remember what happened' PC Taylor said 'Are you saying you now remember what happened and wish to make a formal statement?'

'Yes' Lauren nodded her head.

'Can you tell us the events that led up to you being admitted to hospital?' PC Taylor asked her, getting her notepad out.

'I'd just come home from shopping and I opened the front door and Jake was sitting on the stairs waiting for me'

'Jake?' DC Andrews asked her.

'My husband, Jake Stone' Lauren explained to him.

'And what happened when you got inside the house?'

'He was waiting for me. He had my black duffle bag on the stairs at his side and a roll of money in his hands. He didn't say anything at first, just looked at me as if he wanted me to explain why I had them'

'And why did you have them?' DC Andrews asked her. He seemed to have taken over the questioning whilst PC Taylor was making notes.

'I was leaving him' Lauren told him, looking down. 'Well…I was biding my time to leave him'

'Biding your time?'

'Waiting for the right moment, plucking up courage. Whatever you want to call it' she said looking down at her fingers and picking at her nails.

'And then what happened?'

'He asked me what the bag and money was for and I told him the truth. I told him I was planning on leaving him'

'And what did he do?'

'He laughed in my face. He left the bag on the stairs and put the money in his pocket. He reminded me of one line of our wedding vows' she said quietly.

'And that was?' DC Andrews asked her. When she didn't reply PC Taylor spoke.

'It's okay, Lauren. You're doing really well. We know this is difficult for you. Take your time' she reassured her.

Lauren looked up at her, she took a deep breath and nodded her head once. 'Til death do us part' she said 'that's what he always says, when I do or say something he doesn't like. Just those five words'

'And then what happened?'

'He told me to wash my hands for dinner and he went into the kitchen. I went upstairs and washed my hands in the bathroom before I went back downstairs to go into the kitchen. As I walked past my bedroom door I saw he'd broken the lock…ransacked everything in my bedroom' she told them. She paused and took a breath. 'When I got downstairs he'd got dinner ready. It was sushi and I told him I wasn't going to eat it. I don't like fish and he knows it but he likes to make me eat it' she explained 'but this time I stood up to him and I said I wouldn't eat it' she paused again, tears spilled over her eyelids.

'It's all right Lauren, take your time' DC Andrews said 'I know this is hard for you'

'He …he grabbed my face and started to try to force me to eat the sushi….I pushed him away and I told him I couldn't eat the fish because I was pregnant' she glanced up at the officers to see the reactions on their faces, she saw nothing. 'He went mad, he backhanded me across the face and I fell onto the floor. He lost it, he was calling me names…I must have knocked into the table because there was a knife lying next to me on the floor and I reached for it but he grabbed it first…'

'What kind of knife?'

'A chef's knife' Lauren replied 'Jake's a chef…he owns the restaurant round the corner from the house…he grabbed me by the hair, pulling me up to my feet and dragged me through to the lounge…and he pushed me backwards, I fell against the coffee table…he was so angry with me…furious…I've never seen him as angry as he was then. I've seen him cross before but this was something else…worse. He said he didn't want to have a baby, not with me. He told me he already had two kids with another one on the way. With someone who was a real woman. Who knew how to please a man in bed…' Lauren trailed off, feeling her face grow hot as she stared down at her hands, her fingers twisting together as she recounted what had happened. He started hitting me, with his fists. He grabbed handfuls of my hair to hold me in place whilst he hit me'

'Which hand was the knife in?' DC Andrews asked her.

'His left hand. The one holding my hair' she said 'he kept hitting me and hitting me and I didn't think he was going to stop…I think I might have passed out' she said with a frown, 'things are a little patchy…the next thing I remember is being alone in the room, lying on the carpet…my face hurt and I knew I was bleeding. I didn't know where Jake had gone so I got to my feet, my vision was blurry and one of my eyes hurt to open' she saw a tissue being placed on her lap and she took it. She hadn't even realised she'd started to cry. 'I got to the door and tried to open it but I couldn't. My hands were shaking too much and I couldn't see properly' she whispered. 'The next thing I knew Jake had spun me round and he's there again. The sudden quick movement made me feel sick, then he had me pinned to the door, asking me who the father was…he put the knife to my stomach and said he would stab me with it if I didn't tell him who it was so he could teach him a lesson for touching his wife. I wouldn't tell him and he put the knife to my throat and said he would kill me if I didn't tell him who I'd been screwing behind his back…I told him he may as well kill me because then I would be free … of him, of the marriage…I would be free…' she trailed off, sobs wracking her body. 'He…he forced me back into the lounge and he threw me into the room, I broke the glass in the coffee table when I hit it this time…I didn't remember anything else until I woke up the next day. He'd locked me inside the house and took away my keys. I couldn't get out of the house and I couldn't find a phone to call for help….I….I….' she trailed off again, Jack put his arm around her.

'I think that's enough for tonight' he said to the officers.

'Okay Mrs. Stone, I think we have enough for now. We'd like you to come down to the station to make an official statement tomorrow. We'd also like permission to obtain your medical records'

'Okay'

'Do you know where Mr Stone is now?'

'At the house. 43 Albert Square' Lauren said. 'Are you going to see him?' she asked them, raising her head to look at them both.

'We're going to do more than see him. We're going to arrest him for assault, battery and attempted murder' DC Andrews said 'It's not over yet we will need to do some further investigations and once we have a solid case against him, he'll be charged. You've done really well, Lauren' he told her with a smile.

'You …you believe me?' she asked surprised.

'Yes we do. And your injuries speak for themselves' he said with a sad smile. 'You come down to the station when you're ready tomorrow okay, ask for me or PC Taylor' he told her handing her a small white card.

'Can… can Jack be there too?' she asked them anxiously.

'Of course' he nodded his head. The two officers stood up, Jack started to get to his feet. 'We can see ourselves out'

'Thank you' Jack said. The door closed and he looked at Lauren. 'Sweetheart, you did great' he told her softly, putting his arm around her shoulders. Lauren stood up and walked to the window to look out, watching as the Police went over to her house. Her eyes drank everything in from the moment Jake answered the door to the moment he was handcuffed and put into the back of a Police car. He did not look happy. Lauren swallowed. 'Hey' Jack moved up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. 'Lauren' he pulled her away from the window.

'What if they don't believe me? What if they let him go?' she looked up at him and he could see the fear in her eyes.

'You heard what the Police said and you've just seem him being arrested' he told her 'He's going to be in a cell for at least 48 hours'

'He has access to top solicitors, I don't'

'You don't need a solicitor' Jack told her shaking his head 'you've done nothing wrong.

'Then why does it feel like I have?' she fled into the bedroom and shut the door.

Jack closed his eyes with a sigh. He pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket and called Joey.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. As promised here is another chapter. Lauren finally tells the Police and Jack is there with her… poor Lauren! I'll answer the reviews later x x Back tomorrow xx**


	113. Chapter 113

**Chapter One Hundred and Twelve**

'Where is she?' Tanya asked as Jack let her and Joey back into the flat.

'She's shut herself in the bedroom' Jack told them. Tanya looked at the door and went inside closing the door behind her.

'How did she do?' Joey asked Jack. 'Did she tell them what he'd done to her?'

'She was good. Really brave' Jack nodded his head. 'You look like you could use a drink' Jack said to him.

'There's some brandy in the cupboard above the sink' Joey told him. Jack disappeared into the kitchen whilst Joey sat down on the sofa, running his hands through his hair.

'Here, get this down your neck' Jack held the glass out to him, Joey took it and stared down into the contents. 'Do you want to talk about it?' Jack asked him as Joey glanced towards the bedroom door. 'Look if it's too much for Lauren staying here, I'm sure Sharon wouldn't mind her staying with us. You know if it's going to cramp your style…' Jack trailed off.

Joey looked up at him and shook his head, 'I want here her' he told him.

Jack sat down beside him 'You know, Joey. It's one thing screwing another man's wife and getting her pregnant but it's something entirely different giving her a place to stay because you feel guilty because her marriage broke down as a result of the pregnancy' he said to him.

'I didn't break up her marriage. It was nonexistent to start with' Joey said, raising the glass to his lips and then frowned putting it down on the coffee table. 'I feel guilty because I couldn't talk her into leaving him sooner, or pressing charges. I feel guilty because she looks like she's gone ten rounds with Carl Froch' he stood up and paced the floor 'I feel guilty because she's crying her heart out in there because she feels like she's the one who's done something wrong. Because she's afraid the Police won't believe her. She's afraid Jake's going to get off and get out, come after her, after me' he told him with a frown 'I feel guilty because I don't know what to do or what to say to make her feel better, to make her feel safe' Joey told him. 'She's talking about leaving the Square, leaving Walford'

'Maybe there's nothing you can do. Maybe she needs to go home to be with her mother' Jack told him. 'Maybe she needs a fresh start somewhere else'

'She's having my baby, Jack' Joey stopped pacing and turned to look at him 'I can't just let her leave'

'It's not your decision to make. Its Lauren's' Jack told him softly 'she's been in an abusive relationship where she's been told what to do, what to think, what to feel. Now she can start making her own decisions' he said 'she may be pregnant, Joey, but that doesn't mean she wants to have the baby with you. If she decides she wants to bring up the baby on her own then you're going to have to respect her decision. Besides what kind of impression are going to be giving him or her by screwing everything that moves?'

'It's not like that' Joey frowned at him 'Lauren and I weren't like that' he told him 'it wasn't a one-time thing'

'Yeah I heard you tell Jake' Jack said to him. 'So how long has it been going on for?' he asked him 'a couple of months, what?'

'Nine months' Joey's reply surprised Jack. 'She deserves someone better than him... to be honest she deserves someone better than me too... but I can tell you I love her and I'm going to look after her... protect her and give her a better life than she's had before... the kind of life she deserves to have...' Joey trailed off as the bedroom door opened and Tanya appeared.

'She wants to talk to you, Joey' she smiled at him.

'Thanks' Joey replied and he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

'Hey, you' Joey said seeing Lauren sitting on the bed.

'Hey' she looked up at him. 'I'm sorry about before' she told him 'my head is all over the place'

'I can imagine' he told her softly, taking a seat beside her. 'Did talking to your mum help?'

'A little, yeah. She's suggested we move into the B&amp;B for a couple of nights' she told him. 'She doesn't know Jack and Sharon and says she feels awkward staying with them'

'She could stay here' Joey suggested 'you and your mum could sleep in the bed and I could take the sofa or stay with Jack or take a room at the B&amp;B, whatever you want'

'I can't kick you out of your own flat' Lauren shook her head 'and I don't really want to go out looking like this. People will have too many questions, especially if they've seen the Police around the square' she looked down 'I want to stay with you' she admitted to him 'and I know I shouldn't feel this way but…I feel safe with you'

'Why shouldn't you feel like that?' Joey asked her. He frowned and turned slightly on the bed to look at her 'you know what we did wasn't wrong, don't you?' he asked her.

'But it was wrong, Joey. I'm married. I have a husband. I've committed adultery and now I'm pregnant…by another man…how is this going to look to the Police?' she asked him.

'It's going to look like your husband, abused you, physically and mentally for years. He made you miserable. You asked him for a divorce on numerous occasions and he refused. He made sure you didn't have the means to file for divorce yourself. You're not the one in the wrong here, babe. They're going to understand you getting involved with someone else' he told her 'and even if they don't, it's none of their business' he said softly 'what we had was good, wasn't it?' he asked her 'what we needed, what we wanted. I don't regret a single moment of it'

Lauren raised her head to meet his gaze 'me either' she admitted to him. 'You were right before, I should've let you explain. I should've listened to what you had to say. I don't know why I didn't…Jake was just so convincing when he told me. He had no reason to lie, he didn't know about us' she stared into his eyes. 'You said you were going to be home all day and I tried to find you but I couldn't. I called you and you didn't call me back…when I saw you go back into your flat…you ignored me…Jake told me you'd been with him, that you had a foursome with twins…he told me it wasn't the first time…you'd done it whilst I was visiting mums…'

'Everything Jake told you was true, but it wasn't a foursome it was a threesome' he said. Lauren felt her heart sink into her stomach, 'but it wasn't me he was talking about. It was him. He was the one with those two girls, Lauren. Not me' he shook his head. 'I know I told you I was going to be in, I didn't expect you to need me, I thought you and Jake were going to talk. He told me he was considering granting your wish and giving you a divorce... I was at a solicitors, one that specialised in divorce. I was finding out what you needed to do next, what forms you needed to fill in, the cost, how long it would take. I wasn't cheating on you, I was trying to help you, fat lot of good it did me. They weren't very helpful to be honest' he told her with a frown 'they didn't take pro bono work and I couldn't afford their fees….' he explained to her and he sighed, he looked up at her 'I promised you I wouldn't cheat you on you and I meant it' he put his hand on hers and squeezed gently. When you broke up with me, I was hurt and angry' he told her 'with you, with Jake, with myself. I broke my own rules. Rules I made for a reason and I paid the price for that mistake' he licked his lips 'I fell in love with you and losing you…losing you, hurt more than I could stand…so I tried to forget. I tried to be the Joey I was before you, I thought it would work, make me feel better but it didn't. Those girls were nothing…they meant nothing…they were supposed to make forget you but they didn't. They just reminded me of what I'd lost and made me want you more' he told her 'made me miss you more' he admitted to her 'especially the last one….she looked so much like you...I pretended she was you' he said, her eyes widened in surprise. 'I've missed you so much, Lauren'

'I've missed you too, Joey. So much' she told him softly.

'Yeah?' he asked her. She nodded her head.

'There were so many times I wanted to come over and see you, wait for you but I was scared you wouldn't want to see me, or you'd bring someone back with you' she said 'and I wasn't sure I wanted to see that again, it was bad enough watching you with all those girls at the club…' she licked her lips 'I want to stay here with you tonight…'

'You can stay as long as you want to, Lauren. We have a lot to talk about, plans to make'

'Plans?' she frowned confused.

'About the baby' he told her 'I want to be involved, I want to be a father to this baby'

'You…you do?' she asked in surprise.

'Yes' he nodded his head 'I do. But we don't have to talk about it now. We have plenty of time to discuss it' he licked his lips 'we need to concentrate on getting you through the police investigation against Jake and we need to get the divorce proceedings rolling and then…'

'Divorce proceedings?' Lauren blinked at him.

'You…you are going to divorce him now aren't you?' Joey looked at her anxiously.

'I still don't have money…' she reminded him.

'I will pay whatever it takes to get you divorced from that piece of scum, even if I have to get another job, or sell everything I own'' he told her seriously.

'You'd do that for me?' Lauren blinked at him surprised.

Joey took a breath and let it out slowly. 'Yes. Of course I would' he told her 'best friends are there for each other. We're still best friends aren't we?' he asked her, Lauren nodded her head.

'I guess I should tell mum I'm staying here then' she said softly standing up.

'We both will' he told her.

'Thank you' Lauren whispered softly 'I don't think I could do this without you…'

'Yes, you could' Joey nodded his head 'you're a strong, brave woman' he told her. 'The past forty eight hours should prove that to you' he said, stroking her cheek lightly. They held each other's gaze for a few long moments and Joey smiled at her. 'Come on, we should tell your mum' he said softly.

Lauren nodded her head with a small smile and followed him out of the bedroom.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. The overall consensus was you were all proud of Lauren finally being brave enough to report Jake to the Police…let's hope he gets his comeuppance. Lauren wants to stay with Joey…yay! But is it me…does Jack seem a little bit annoyed with Joey? Fancy another chapter or two tonight? Well if you do you know what to do! Laters xxx **


	114. Chapter 114

**Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen**

News of Jake's arrest spread through the square seemingly overnight. Joey was woken up by a pounding on the door. He glanced at Lauren and saw she too was awake, and was terrified, clearly thinking it was Jake coming to get her. Joey threw back the covers.

'Stay here' he told her firmly but softly. She nodded and pulled the covers up over her head. There was no danger she was going to leave the safety if the bedroom. Joey pulled on his robe and walked out of the bedroom, glancing over at Lauren who was now a lump in his bed as he closed the door behind himself, safe in the knowledge no one would get to her. He half smiled and made his way to the door. He opened the door to the flat and walked downstairs to the front door, opening it and finding his father, Uncles Max and Jack and Lauren's mum standing there. 'Where's the fire?' he frowned at them all.

'It's half 11, Joey' Jack said 'Tanya's been trying to call Lauren, I've been trying to call you. We were worried'

'We were sleeping' Joey told them, gesturing to his robe.

'Can we come in?' Jack asked him.

'What now?' Joey asked him, thinking about how he should have slept on the sofa last night and not in the bed with Lauren.

'Yes, now. Tanya wants to see her daughter' Jack said firmly.

'That I understand' Joey nodded his head 'what I don't understand is why the three of you are here as well' Joey said scratching his head, folding his arms over his chest.

'Will you just let us in please?' Max sighed.

'Fine. Shut the door behind you' Joey said, turning and heading up the stairs. He left the door open to the flat and walked into the bedroom.

'Who was it?' Lauren asked him flipping the covers off her head.

'Your mum, my dad, Max and Jack' he replied rubbing his chin. 'Apparently it's 11:00am and they were worried'

'Worried about what?' Lauren frowned confused as she sat up. 'Did they go away?'

'You and nope, they're coming up' he replied 'so you might want to help me think of a reason there are no sheets and pillows on the sofa' he told her.

'Because we both slept in here' Lauren frowned at him, clearly confused.

'Yes, but how do we explain it to everyone?' he asked her.

'Lauren?' they heard her mother's voice in the lounge.

'Or we just let them figure it out for themselves' Joey said. 'Come on' he nodded his head towards the door.

Lauren climbed out of bed and Joey held her robe out for her, taking it she slipped it on and stepped out of the bedroom, followed by Joey. Derek's eyes moved the sofa and then met Joey's. He frowned at his son. 'Wow, the cavalry's arrived I see' Lauren said glancing at them all one by one.

Derek's eyes moved to her and she saw the horror and shock on his face as he took in her injuries. 'Lauren, sweetheart' he exclaimed, 'Look at you!'

'It looks worse than it is' she said with a shrug. 'I'm okay, Derek'

'Why didn't you tell me?, I would've helped you' he said moving forward and taking her into his arms 'you know how much you mean to me, to Alice. We would've done whatever we could to help you' Lauren sighed as she hugged Derek back.

'You couldn't have done anything' she said when he released her. 'Excuse me' she said 'I need the bathroom' she told him.

I'll make everyone some tea' Jack said staring at Joey and nodding his head towards the bedroom.

'I'll …er… just get dressed' Joey said quickly turning on his heel and escaping into the bedroom. He closed the door behind him and leant up against it. He'd seen the questions in everyone's eyes, as well as the "are you kidding me" look in Jack's. He knew he had a lot of explaining to do. He could hear Lauren throwing up in the bathroom, and he went inside and knelt down behind her, his fingers brushed her neck lightly as he gathered up her hair and held it out of the way. His other hand rubbed her back gently.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Fifteen minutes later, Lauren flushed the toilet with a sigh. Joey got her some water and she rinsed her mouth and spat that into the flushing water too. 'Better?' He asked her.

'Yes' she sighed and stood up, pulling the toilet seat down, she turned and sat down on it 'thanks' she gave him a soft smile.

'I guess we have some explaining to do' he told her.

'Can we just say that I'm pregnant and leave it at that?' Lauren asked him 'I haven't told mum everything yet…she knows I'm pregnant but I didn't elaborate further'

'Uncle Jack knows' Joey reminded her, she shot him a look and he nodded his head. 'Okay we keep that part quiet then' he told her 'we tell people we were talking in the bedroom and fell asleep?' he asked her, Lauren nodded her head 'okay, good, we should get dressed' he said.

Another fifteen minutes later they both came out of the bedroom dressed. 'Sorry' Lauren apologised 'morning sickness' she saw surprise cross Max's and Derek's face.

'I'll make some fresh tea' Joey excused himself and walked into the kitchen.

'I'll give you a hand' Jack said getting up off the sofa and following him out.

'How do you feel, darling?' he heard Tanya ask Lauren as he left the room.

'What the hell, Joey?' Jack hissed at him as he closed the door 'she's literally just broken up with her husband 'and you're already sleeping with her'

'No' Joey sighed 'not that it's any of your business, Lauren and I were up late talking things through and she didn't want to be on her own, so we slept in the same bed. Nothing happened' he shook his head 'what was I supposed to do? She was a mess' he hissed at his Uncle.

'You could've slept on the sofa' Jack pointed out to him 'that way there would be less questions. What do you think Max, Derek and Tanya are thinking right now?'

'You know what Uncle Jack? I really don't give a fuck what they're thinking. All I care about is Lauren and the baby. And no one's opinion other than Lauren's matters to me right now. And I will do everything I can to help her, if she'll let me' he frowned as he got the milk out of the fridge and added it to his and Lauren's cup before putting the bottle back in the fridge and slamming the door shut.

'Your father is going to lose it when he finds out you've been having an affair with a married woman especially after your mother left him' he hissed at his nephew.

'This has nothing to do with mum, Lauren is nothing like mum' Joey snapped at him angrily. 'Don't you dare compare Lauren to her…' Joey felt his temper rising 'and I'm nothing like the piece of scum that ripped mum away from her husband and kids' the kettle boiled and Joey ignored it 'Lauren's marriage was over long before I came onto the scene. Remind me again who you were engaged to be married to before you met Sharon?' he glared at his Uncle.

'That was different' Jack snapped back at him.

'Really? Not from where I'm standing it isn't' Joey replied.

Lauren sighed hearing raised voices coming from the kitchen. 'Excuse me a second' she rose from the chair and headed towards the kitchen. She pushed the door open and shut it loudly behind her.

'Whatever the hell is going on in here do you think it can keep until later?' she frowned at them both. She could see they were both angry with each other, Jack why don't you go take a walk and cool off, come back when the others are gone and Joey and I will explain everything' she told him.

Jack nodded his head leaving the two of them alone in the room. 'Sorry' Joey said quietly 'he's mad at me for some reason' Joey explained.

'I heard' she nodded her head. 'Is that my tea?' she asked him gesturing to the cup, Joey nodded, handing it to her 'thank you. So you going to come and help me with everyone else?'

'Course' he replied softly.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** I am so happy you are enjoying TBB. So this chapter, Lauren's pregnancy has been revealed to a few other people and Joey and Jack are still arguing about Lauren… I wonder what's going to happen when Jack has calmed down….do you want another chapter? Well you know what to do.. Later xx **


	115. Chapter 115

**Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen**

Lauren groaned as she closed the door to the flat. 'Okay so is it just me or did that feel like the Spanish Inquisition?' she asked Joey as he gathered up the cups, heading for the kitchen.

'It wasn't just you babe, it did' he nodded his head 'and you're about to have more of the same. We need to go down the Police station' he told her 'so why don't you go and grab a shower and I'll make something to eat'

'Okay' she nodded her head taking a deep breath and headed towards the bathroom.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jack arrived just as Lauren got into the shower. 'Have you calmed down now?' Jack asked Joey as he let him in.

'Have you?' Joey asked raising his eyebrows at him.

'Touché' Jack said softly.

'Lauren doesn't need to hear us fighting' Joey told him 'it's not good for her and it can't be good for the baby, she's stressed out enough as it is' he told his uncle. Jack nodded his head.

'I know and I'm sorry' Jack said to him 'I just…I don't understand how you could've been so stupid getting involved with her in the first place. You knew she was married'

'Not at the start' Joey shook his head 'I was as surprised as you were when Jake walked into the Vic that night. Lauren and I had already started…we weren't sleeping together at that point, but it wasn't too long after. She didn't want things to go any further between us…she made it pretty clear they wouldn't…and then one day they did' Joey said with a shrug. He sat down on the sofa with a sigh. 'Things weren't supposed to go this far' he admitted as his uncle sat on the arm of the sofa. 'She was supposed to be a bit of fun…it started off as a bet between me and Ricky'

'A bet?' Jack asked him with a frown, 'what kind of bet?'

'A £200 bet, on which one of us could fuck her first' Joey said sheepishly, earning himself a slap around the back of the head. 'Ow! Hey!' Joey frowned at him rubbing his head 'what was that for?'

'Thought maybe it would knock some sense into your stupid thick head' Jack said glaring at him 'so let me get this straight, what started out as a bet now means you've got someone, who correct me if I'm wrong, is someone else's wife, pregnant'

'Well, yes, in a nutshell' Joey nodded his head 'and no not really'

Jack let out a sigh 'enlighten me'

'I didn't break up her marriage' Joey told her 'her marriage was over long before she came to Walford. Jake didn't appreciate her, he didn't see what an incredible woman he was married to. He treated her like a doormat, like she was nothing…she wasn't allowed to have friends of her own. She was miserable and alone…she's asked him for a divorce so many times and he refused, she couldn't initiate one because he took all her money, hid all her id, the marriage certificate…' Joey took a deep breath, 'I didn't go looking for this but the more time I spent with her, I craved more. I didn't want things between us to end…I wasn't the one who called things off, Lauren did. Because of Jakes lies' he licked his lips 'the last 6 weeks have been Hell not being with her…' he frowned 'I need her, Jack. I want her.' Jack blinked at his nephew, surprise his words, the emotion in his voice. 'I love her'

Jack shook his head 'She's was married, she wasn't yours to want' he told him with a frown 'you realise this, all this is because of you' Jack snapped at him 'all because you couldn't keep your dick in your pants' he stood up and started to pace the floor 'your father is going to be so pissed off at you. I am so pissed off at you!'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Fifteen minutes later Jack, Joey and Lauren were at the Police station. Jack and Lauren were taken into an interview room and Joey loitered outside. He pulled out his phone and called Lucy. After a brief conversation he was shocked to discover Lucy wasn't going to press charges against Jake. She told him she wanted to just forget it ever happened and when he pressed her, she reminded him it wouldn't look good on him if she told the police he'd paid her to sleep with Jake, or if she told Lauren that little fact either for that matter.

This led to a bout of sulking and worrying in the back of Jack's car. He needed to talk to someone and he knew uncle Jack wasn't going to be the right person to give him some advice, more than likely this little confession would probably earn him another smack around the head. He also had no idea how Lauren was going to react when he told her. He was going to tell her though, he wasn't going to let Lucy have anything she could use to ruin what he could have with Lauren, what he hoped to have. He closed his eyes and lay his head against the headrest and wished he'd made some different decisions, because he knew this one was going to come back and bite him on the arse, no matter how good his intentions were at the time.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews… Joey has explained to Jack but Jack is still annoyed at Joey…wonder if it has anything to do with Joey's mum leaving with another man? Maybe Joey's actions are a bit too close to home. Lauren's been to the Station and made a formal statement….I wonder what Joey is going to do about Lucy! There's another chapter up for grabs tonight if you want it! Leave me a review xx **


	116. Chapter 116

**Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen**

Three hours later Jack and a tearful Lauren came out of the Police station. 'Babe, what happened?' Joey asked her worriedly as he got out of the car.

'She did great' Jack said, turning to look at her 'I know that must've been so hard for you to go through again, but you've done the right thing' he told her.

Lauren sniffed and nodded her head. Joey put his arm around her and she buried her face in his chest and cried. By the time they got home, Lauren had cried herself to sleep. Joey lifted her out of the car carefully and gently, with Jack's help they carried her back up to the flat and lay her down on the bed. Joey removed her shoes and coat, pulling the duvet over her. He pulled the door too and went back into the lounge to talk with Jack.

'I had no idea…' Jack said 'when you came to me and asked me to talk to her, I had no idea things were this bad for her' he told Joey. 'Afterwards I started to suspect…when I saw the two of them together but I wasn't sure and Lauren had been so clear that there was nothing wrong so I put it to the back of my mind'

'I tried to help her…' Joey said 'I really did…I tried to persuade her to leave him but she was terrified he'd find her again, terrified of his parents…of letting her mother down…'

'The poor girl' Jack said shaking his head 'how she ever managed to get through all that and still be some semblance of normal I have no idea. She is the strongest and bravest person I know'

'She really is' Joey said softly.

'I think the Police have more than enough to charge Jake' he told Joey.

'Good' Joey nodded his head.

'But it wouldn't hurt if you could give a statement too' he told him. Joey nodded his head.

'I have some pictures on my phone from where he's hurt her before' Joey looked up at him 'would they help?'

'They might' Jack nodded his head.

'And Ricky was at the club when Jake attacked Lauren, I can tell him he needs to make a statement too'

'The more statements they have against Jake the better' Jack replied 'Well I'd better go and check in with Sharon and Tanya. If she needs anything…'

'I'll call' Joey nodded his head as he led Jack to the door.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

When Lauren came out of the bedroom, Joey was asleep on the sofa. She found a pen and a piece of paper and wrote a note, leaving it on the coffee table. She crept to the door and spotted the key he'd given to her on the side and she picked it up. She let herself out of the flat and stood on the steps looking around. Even though she knew Jake was in the cells she was still scared he'd suddenly appear out of nowhere. Lauren hated that he still had the ability to scare her even though he was under lock and key. She'd had so many people tell her she was a very brave young woman today, but she certainly didn't feel it. She felt weak and feeble. Her instincts were screaming at her to go back inside the flat, to go back to safety but she knew she needed to push herself or she'd just become weaker and more afraid. Scanning the square quickly she stepped off the last step and headed for Jack's. She needed to see her mother.

She knocked on the door and a few minutes later it opened and her mother appeared. Lauren's emotions got the better of her when she saw her and she burst into tears. 'Darling, come here' Tanya took her hand and pulled her into the house, closing the door behind her before taking her daughter in her arms.

Jack and Sharon had gone to the club, so they had the flat to themselves. After an hour of crying, Tanya tried to coax her daughter into talking to her.

'Sweetheart, what's wrong?' she asked her. 'Where's Joey?'

'He's asleep. I think he spent most of the night watching me sleep, making sure I slept. I left him a note so he won't worry' Lauren told her, leaning forward and plucking a tissue from the box on the table in front of her.

'Jack said you were great at the Police station' she said to her 'I'm very proud of you'

'What if they don't believe me?' Lauren asked her in a whisper 'what if Jake just tells them it's a pile of lies I made up? What if they let him out?'

'They won't sweetheart' Tanya shook her head 'they're not going to believe Jake's lies'

Lauren sniffed and wiped her nose. 'What if they do?'

'He's done a real number on you hasn't he, hey?' Tanya said to her, running her fingers through her daughter's hair as she erupted in sobs again. 'Sweetheart, your injuries speak for themselves, there's no way anyone would think these are self-inflicted. You have nothing to worry about, people are going to believe you. People do believe you'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey woke up and immediately felt guilty for falling asleep, when he should've been looking after Lauren. He sat up and rubbed his head, spotting the note on the coffee table.

"_**Joey, I've gone to see mum. I'll be back soon. L." **_

He resisted the urge to race over there and make sure she was okay. He knew Lauren was with her mother and that she needed her mother right now. Tanya would take care of her, Lauren would be back when she was ready. He got up and looked in the freezer for something to cook for dinner for when Lauren did return, nervous anxiety building inside him despite his earlier thoughts.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

She didn't return for another couple of hours and when she did he could tell she'd been crying. She walked straight through to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. He loitered in the lounge for a few minutes and then went into the kitchen. He put the kettle on and got some cups ready for some coffee. He worried about what Lauren had talked about with her mother, whether or not she was planning on leaving with her. He wondered how he would fit into the picture.

'Hey' Lauren said softly as she walked into the room. Joey turned to look at her.

'Hey' he said softly 'I was making coffee, do you want one?' he asked as the kettle clicked off. Joey started to busy himself with making coffee.

'Please' she nodded her head, stepping further into the room. 'Thank you' she said softly.

'It's okay, I was making myself one anyway' Joey said.

'I didn't mean for the coffee…' Lauren said 'I meant for everything you've done, for letting me stay here' she said softly. Joey swallowed as he felt her put her hand on his arm.

'I'm going to the Police to make a statement against Jake' he said to her and he licked his lips 'I've talked to Ricky and he's going to do the same. Jack said it might help' he said. 'You know I'd do anything for you'

Lauren nodded her head. 'Yes, I do' she replied. He turned his head to look at her. The way she was looking up at him with her big brown eyes made his heart skip a beat. 'Thank you' she whispered.

'Come here' he slid his arms around her waist and hugged her gently. She smiled and closed her eyes, resting her head on his chest. For the first time since she'd left the Police station she felt truly safe.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. I will reply to them tomorrow. As promised here is another chapter.. Leave me a review. Back tomorrow **


	117. Chapter 117

**Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen**

The next few days passed and Lauren was beginning to look a little more human, although her face was now a myriad of colours. Both Joey and Ricky had gone to the Police station to give statements.

Today was the day she'd decided she wanted to go to the house and collect the rest of her things, so Joey, Jack, Tanya and Sharon were all going to help her. All of them were laden with boxes of various sizes Joey had collected from the market traders. Lauren pulled down the Police tape and Joey gave her his set of keys so she could unlock the door. She led the way into the house, pausing in the doorway to the lounge as she glanced at the mess in the room taking in the broken furniture and the blood stained carpet.

'Well, there's goes my damage deposit' she said with a sigh 'the landlord is going to want all the furniture replaced as well as the carpets' she spoke almost to herself. Sharon and Jack exchanged glances.

'Why don't we do this room last hey?' Joey said softly. 'We should do the bedroom' he told her. Lauren looked up at him and nodded her head.

'Is there anything you want in the kitchen sweetheart?' Tanya asked her

'I'm not sure' she said shaking her head.

'Okay, we'll wait down here' Tanya said quietly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

They went into the main bedroom first and Joey pulled down the suitcases from the top of the wardrobe and put them on the bed. Lauren went through the clothes she'd left in the wardrobe when she moved into the spare room. Joey watched as she carefully folded them before putting them in the case. She only took a few clothes, the rest she left hanging. Lauren moved into the en-suite bathroom and looked around. There was nothing in there she wanted. Joey followed her to the spare room she had sought refuge in, the door was shattered and hanging off its hinges. He put the cases down on the bed and she sighed as she looked around the room. Jake had pretty much trashed everything. The only piece of furniture that wasn't broken was the bed. Lauren slowly began to gather up her clothes and threw them into the case deciding she'd sort through them later. She picked up her jewellery box and put it into the case too. Crossing the hall she went into the second bathroom with a box and began to put her toiletries into it. Lauren picked up the box and carried it down the stairs, Joey followed behind her, watching as she placed the box by the door and went into the kitchen. He put the case down beside the box and followed her. The kitchen door was also broken. She looked around the room, remembering the time Joey had helped her paint the kitchen. She remembered how Joey had made her smile, made her laugh.

'We should clear out the fridge' Tanya said, joining them from the lounge. 'Food from the cupboards'

'Good idea' Sharon said, also walking into the room.

Tanya reached for the fridge as Sharon opened a cupboard, they were both surprised to discover there was no food. Lauren looked down as they both turned to look at her.

'We should check the lounge' Joey said softly.

'Okay' Lauren nodded, grateful for the distraction.

There were a few other items that Lauren wanted to take but other than that there was nothing else she wanted.

'How I am I going to pay for all of this damage?' she whispered to Joey on the verge of tears once more. Joey didn't know what to tell her, he just wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.

'I don't think you have to worry about that' Jack said as he came into the room. 'In fact, you don't have to worry about the damage deposit either' he pulled a cheque out of his pocket and held it out to her. Lauren frowned, not understanding what he was saying. Joey reached out and took the cheque from him.

'Come on I think we need to get you home' Joey said to her. Lauren nodded her head, letting Joey go and she moved to the door, a set of keys caught her eye on the side, the restaurant keys. She grabbed them and put them in her pocket.

'We can go now' she said softly, eager to leave the place she used to think of as home…until Jake arrived on the square that was.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren licked her lips as she stood outside the restaurant. She wasn't sure if this was breaking and entering even though she had the keys in her hand. She dropped the keys as she tried to unlock the door. 'Let me' she heard a voice behind her that made her jump. She turned and she saw Ian. He bent down and picked up the keys, 'there's a knack to this' he told her. A few seconds later the door was unlocked. He opened the door for her and she went inside. 'I heard Jake has been arrested' he said to her.

'Yes, he has' she glanced at him.

'Good' he said softly. 'So what are we looking for?' he asked her.

'The safe' she replied. Ian nodded his head.

'I know where that is' he told her and led her through the restaurant to the back of the building.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey looked up as Lauren walked into the flat, dropping her keys into the tray by the door. In her arms was a thick, heavy looking document wallet.

'What's that?' he asked her.

'Papers from the restaurant' Lauren told him, putting the folder on the coffee table as she sat down on the sofa. 'As well as my driving license, birth certificate, marriage certificate and passport' she told him with a smile.

'Oh well that's good timing' he told her 'because something came in the post for you today' he told her and he picked up an A4 envelope and handed it to her. She pulled it open and saw a divorce pack.

**AN: Thank you for all my reviews… Nearly at 3000! WOW! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Xx Okay…So Lauren's found her personal documents at the restaurant and Joey's given her a divorce pack…She's going to run off and grab a pen right? Leave me a review… you may have another chapter tonight xxx **


	118. Chapter 118

**Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen**

Joey waited patiently as Lauren looked through the pack. When she was finished she pushed it back into the envelope, putting it down beside her on the sofa. 'I don't know if I'm ready to do that' she admitted to him. 'I want to divorce him but with everything that's happening….'

'The sooner you start the process the better' he told her softly, not wanting to push her too hard.

'I'm not ready to' she told him, shaking her head. 'I'm not saying I don't want a divorce, I do' she told him 'everything's just changed overnight and I need a little time' she looked at him.

'Well, the pack is here when you're ready' he told her softly.

'Thank you' she said softly. 'I'm going to go and unpack the things we brought back from the house' she told him.

'Everything's in the bedroom' he told her 'will you be okay if I pop out for a little while? I need to get some food and a few other things?'

'I'll be fine' she nodded her head.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

When Joey returned to the flat, it was quiet. He peered into the bedroom and saw Lauren was sitting crossed legged on the bed with the shoebox and the manilla folder she'd brought back from the restaurant in front of her. She was looking through some papers in the folder. He crept away from the door and headed to the kitchen with his bags.

'I'm back' he called out as he started to put the groceries away.

Lauren appeared in the doorway with a thick wad of paper in her hand 'It's mine' she said.

Joey turned around to look at her 'what is?' he frowned.

'Look' she handed the document to him and he scanned through it quickly, his confused eyes met hers. 'The restaurant…it's mine' Lauren told him 'that's my signature…I haven't seen the document before but that is definitely my signature' she said to him

'I can ask Uncle Max's solicitor to look at it for you?' he said to her 'make sure it says what you think it does'

Lauren nodded her head 'can you call him now?' she asked him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

As it turned out Max didn't need to call his solicitor to be able to confirm what Lauren held in her hands. Both Max and Joey read through the document, agreeing with Lauren's initial thoughts that Jake had brought the restaurant In Lauren's name to avoid extra taxes and therefore legally the restaurant belonged to her. Max and Joey watched as she went back into the bedroom after thanking him, closing the door behind her.

'How is she?' Max asked his nephew.

'She's coping' Joey nodded his head 'we went back to the house today to pack up her things…not that there was much there to pack up…' Joey trailed off.

'Any news on Jake?'

'No, nothing' Joey shook his head 'I'm not sure if that's good news or bad news' he said to him. 'I would've thought we would've heard whether or not they were going to charge him by now or not'

'They have to though, right?' Max asked him with a frown 'I mean they did see what he did to her, she pressed charges…?'

'Yeah she did' Joey nodded his head.

'Then stop worrying about things, I'm sure formal charges will be made soon' Max reassured him.

'I hope so' Joey nodded his head. 'For her sake, the sooner this is all over the better'

'If you ever need to talk you know where to find me' Max said 'I'm always around for my favourite nephew' he ruffled Joey's hair and then squeezed his shoulder.

'Thanks Uncle Max' Joey said with a smile, the two of them hugged briefly.

'You call me if you need anything okay?'

'I will' Joey nodded.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Later that night Lauren and Joey were watching a film on the TV, 'Joey?' she turned slightly to look at him.

'Mmm?'

'I don't understand why Jack gave me the cheque when we were clearing out the house'

'Jack and Sharon own the house' he replied, reaching for the remote and turning the TV off. 'They rent through an agency and the rent gets paid to them through the agency but with a handling fee taken off' he explained to her 'It makes it less of a hassle, the agency deals with all the problems, and the maintenance and Uncle Jack just pays for the work they need to do'

'But there's so much work to be done on the house now, the broken doors, the furniture…the carpets…he's not going to be able to rent it out for months, it's going to be haemorrhaging money all the time he can't rent it' Lauren frowned at him 'he shouldn't have given me the money back…'

'Yes, he should. You didn't wreck the house babe, Jake did' he told her 'Jack feels bad because he feels he should've known things were as bad as they were, he feels as though he should've done something about it…before it got this far' Joey told her 'you have a lot of people here who care about you and want to help you. This is Jack's way of helping you' he told her.

'I don't want charity' she frowned shaking her head.

'It's not charity, Lauren' Joey shook his head 'its compassion, if you give the cheque back you'll hurt his feelings and Sharon's'

'So what am I supposed to do with it?' he asked her.

'You bank it' he told her. She nodded her head once.

'Okay' she told him softly.

Joey took a deep breath. 'Listen I have to tell you something' he told her.

'About what?' she frowned at him.

'About Lucy and Jake'

'I don't want to talk about that. If she was stupid enough to get involved with him that's her mistake' she frowned folding her arms over her chest.

'It wasn't like that' Joey said 'she did it as a favour…to me' he told her 'Jake's girlfriend was pregnant and she wasn't in the mood for sex…so I kind of asked Lucy to help Jake take the edge off so he wouldn't be inclined to sleep with you…' Lauren blinked at him. 'When I asked Lucy I sort of implied I'd make it worth her while, she thought I meant I'd sleep with her….but I didn't' he added quickly 'I gave her some money. I paid her to sleep with Jake'

Lauren's mouth fell open 'you paid her to have sex with Jake?' she frowned at him.

'Yeah, I did' he looked at her wondering what she was thinking.

'And she took it?' Lauren asked him. Joey nodded his head.

'Yes' he said quietly. Lauren looked down at her hands briefly and then back at him.

'Then she's as bad as him' she told him 'while it was a really stupid thing to do, I understand why you did it' she admitted to him.

'So you're not angry with me?' he asked her.

'No, I'm not angry with you' she told him softly.

'There's something else….Jake…Jake…' he was interrupted by his phone. He frowned and pulled it out of his pocket, glancing at it to see who it was. Not recognising the number he answered it. 'Hello?' he said …'yes, hold on a second' he held the phone out to her. 'It's for you' he said.

'This is Lauren Stone' she said quietly. Joey watched as her face paled and she nodded her head as she listened to the person on the other end of the phone speaking. 'Yes…thank you' she said. She ended the phone call and slowly raised her eyes to Joey's

'What's wrong?' Joey asked her

'That was the Police…Jake's been granted bail' she told him. Her worst fears had been realised. He was out of Prison, which meant only one thing. Sooner or later he'd come looking for her.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** Joey's explained that Jack owned the house and that he felt bad for her not having money which is why he gave her the deposit back.. Such a nice man and I think Lauren took the news that Joey paid Lucy to have sex with her husband remarkably well don't you? Oh no Jake's got out on bail! Leave me a review xxx **


	119. Chapter 119

**Chapter One hundred and Eighteen**

The next week passed and Lauren learnt from the Police that Jake's parents had a hired a top solicitor who'd somehow managed to get Jake out of prison on a technicality. The Police had done something wrong when they arrested him and therefore they had no choice but to let him go. But his bail conditions meant he had to check in at the station every day and he wasn't allowed 100 hundred yards of her. A few days after Jake had been granted bail Lauren was told he'd gone missing after he'd failed to turn up at the station to report in. For a few days she found she was always looking over her shoulder again, fearing she'd turn around and he'd be there waiting for her. She was lying in bed one night thinking about things, and she decided she was done living in fear. She wasn't going to let him ruin anymore of her life. He'd ruined her past, he wasn't going to ruin her future.

As she thought more about her future she thought about Joey, he was now sleeping on the sofa, and had been since the first couple of days after he'd brought Lauren back to the flat. Joey told her he loved her and he wanted the baby too. He wanted to be involved in their baby's life. Lauren needed to figure out what she was going to do. She decided she'd talk things through with her mum tomorrow, get her advice. And then try to work out what she wanted…and where Joey fitted in to all this.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Lauren was waiting for her mum in the Vic. She looked at her watch to check the time, wondering where she could be. 'Hello darling, I'm sorry I'm late' Tanya said as she walked in. She sat down next to Lauren and gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek 'how are you feeling?' she asked her daughter.

'I'm good' she nodded her head, taking a sip of her orange juice. 'I got you a drink' she gestured at the wine glass on the table, Tanya smiled at her.

'Thank you, darling. So…you said you wanted to talk?' Tanya asked her, looking at her expectantly, as she drank some of her drink.

'Yeah I do...I haven't been entirely honest with you and I need your advice about something' Lauren told her looking down at her hands.

'Go on' Tanya said, picking up the drink Lauren had got for her and taking another sip.

'You know I'm pregnant' Lauren said glancing up at her 'and you assumed, like everyone else that the baby was Jake's and I didn't correct you' Lauren told her softly.

'The baby isn't Jakes?' Tanya looked at her daughter in surprise.

'No. It isn't.' Lauren shook her head 'it's Joey's' Lauren said, looking up at her mother 'I didn't not tell you because I was deliberately trying to lie to you. It's just that things between me and Joey have been strained since before I found out I was pregnant and part of that was down to me' she licked her lips and paused 'Joey and I managed to keep us a secret which is pretty surprising seeing as how everyone here seems to know everything about everyone. Jake didn't know about it and at first it wasn't anything serious' Lauren explained.

'How did it start?' Tanya asked her. Lauren shrugged.

'It just did' Lauren replied.

'When did it start?'

'When I first moved here, he flirted. A lot' Lauren said with a small smile 'I told him I wasn't interested in a relationship with him, especially since I had him figured out already and wasn't willing to be another notch on his bedpost' she said 'we were friends after that…didn't stop him flirting though…one night we were at my house. We'd drunk some wine and he was about to go and I kissed him' Lauren told her 'he'd kissed me before and I let him at first but then I stopped it…but that night…I couldn't help myself' Lauren trailed off as she remembered how it felt to have his lips on hers.

'Then what happened?' her mother asked.

'Jake arrived, threw a spanner in the works obviously. I apologised to Joey for lying to him and not telling him I was married and I apologised for kissing him and I told him it wouldn't happen again'

'Which it clearly did' Tanya said sounding angry.

'Yes' Lauren nodded and shifted in her seat to face her mother. 'Like I said, it was only supposed to be a bit of fun, but the more time we spent together…I found I could talk to Joey, tell him everything, anything and he didn't judge me. He told me I was beautiful'

'Was this before or after he'd slept with you?' Tanya frowned at her daughter.

'Both' Lauren replied. 'Look, mum I know what you're thinking…' Lauren said to her 'cheating on Jake was wrong and I wouldn't have done it but it wasn't as though he hasn't cheated on me throughout our whole marriage. He has a girlfriend and two kids the other side of London. I asked him for a divorce countless times and he refused. He used to tell me all the time that I was fat and ugly and no man would want to be with me if he did divorce me and he was doing me a favour by staying married to me' she looked down 'I didn't plan to get involved with Joey, it just happened. And I'm not sorry it did, because he made me feels things and experience things I never have before' she said 'I never had an orgasm until Joey' she lowered her voice to a hushed whisper 'and I never knew sex could be so…enjoyable' Lauren licked her lips as she felt her face redden at her admission. 'Usually it was something I had to endure, luckily not too often'

'Lauren…' Tanya reached into her lap and squeezed her hand.

'Joey was the first person I told about the baby' she said 'no one else knew, no one else was going to know…' she sighed 'Joey wants us to be together, he says he loves me' she told her mother, Tanya saw her daughter's eyes sparkling as she spoke about him. 'He wants us to be a family'

'Lauren…sweetheart. I know you were in an unhappy, unhealthy relationship with Jake and I'm sorry you were, but jumping straight into another relationship isn't a good idea' Tanya told her 'you need to spend some time on your own, time to figure out what happens next in your life, what you want'

'I'm pregnant mum. What happens next in my life is I have a baby' she told her 'Joey's baby' she licked her lips.

'You can have a baby without having a man in your life, Lauren. I don't want you to settle for Joey because you're afraid of being a single mother' Tanya frowned at her 'you know I'll be there to support you and help you whenever you need me to' she told her 'I don't think you should rush into a relationship with Joey…you just have hero-worship. He distracted you from a unhappy moment in your life…'

Lauren frowned at her mother in disbelief. 'No! It's not like that. I love him mum and I want to be with him'

'You're being absurd, Lauren. What you're feeling isn't love. It's infatuation' Tanya told her 'you need to move into the B&amp;B with me. Put a little distance between the two of you. You'll see then it isn't love'

'No mum, you're wrong' Lauren frowned at her shaking her head.

'Well I can see I'm wasting my breath here' Tanya said with a sigh 'you know where I am when you come to your senses' she said, standing up with her bag. She walked to the door, pausing to look back at her daughter. She shook her head with a sigh and then walked out. Leaving Lauren sitting dejectedly in the pub.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** Well the talk with Tanya didn't go very well. Poor Lauren, I have a feeling she's even more confused than when she went there to see her. Is Tanya right though? Are her feelings for Joey just hero worship? Does she have the white knight syndrome? Let me know what you think…If you give me 25 reviews by 10pm you will have another chapter and I think you'll like it!**


	120. Chapter 120

**Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen **

Joey looked up from the paper he was reading as Lauren came into the flat, slamming the door behind her. She ran into the bedroom and that door received the same treatment as the flat door.

'Hello Joey, did you have a good morning begging for your job back at the club? No, not really. Sharon made me jump through hoops but yes I've got my job back, thanks for asking. Nice lunch with your mother?' Joey asked the empty room. He sighed, folding the newspaper and placing it on the sofa cushion beside him. He walked to the bedroom door and tentatively pushed it open. He found her lying face down on the bed. 'Everything okay?' he asked her, already nowking what the answer to her question was.

'My mother is so sanctimonious and annoying' she mumbled into the pillow.

'How?' he asked her softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Lauren sighed and she sat up facing Joey, sitting cross legged on the bed.

'I went to talk to her, to ask her advice…I told her about the baby'

'Didn't your mum already know about the baby'?' Joey frowned feeling a little confused.

'Yes, she did. But like everyone else she'd assumed the baby is Jakes. I told her that the baby is yours and she didn't listen to a single word I said. She's actually encouraging me to be a single mother. She told me she'd be there to help out whenever I needed it, that I didn't need to have a man in my life, in order to raise a baby. Pointing out she did just fine on her own with me' Lauren blurted out in one breath. 'She wasn't happy I had an affair' she frowned 'like she hasn't had affairs before' Lauren rolled her eyes 'She's a hypocrite. She's had affairs with married men a couple of times. Yet when I have an affair it's wrong and it's not like I was in a proper marriage….then, yes maybe I'd have been wrong but I wasn't. I was miserable and lonely.' she frowned, looking down at her hands, picking her fingernails. 'She thinks…she thinks you're just an infatuation. That what I feel for you isn't real. She says it's just misplaced gratitude'

'And what do you think?' he asked her.

She raised her eyes to look into his. Lauren shrugged. 'I don't know' she admitted 'I thought talking things through with mum would help me figure it out, but she's just left me feeling even more confused' she frowned 'what if she's right?' she asked him 'what if it is just misplaced gratitude or infatuation?'

'Do you think it is?' he batted the question back to her.

'I don't know' she said softly.

'Uncle Jack's been bending my ear about things too' Joey admitted to her 'He thinks this is going to end badly' he said gesturing between the two of them. 'Plus he's pretty pissed off at me for having an affair with a married woman' Joey continued 'you think I'd murdered someone by the way he's reacting' he said with a sigh 'all I did was fall in love'

Lauren's heart skipped a beat at hearing him say those words again.

'Do you really love me?' she asked him 'Or are you just saying it because you think it's what I need to hear?' she looked at him 'Or are you saying it just to get what you want?'

'No. It's not like that' he told her, shaking his head. 'I didn't plan this, I didn't expect this to happen. You were only supposed to be another notch on my bedpost and win me £200.' he told her 'you were supposed to be a one-time thing' Lauren looked down. Joey moved closer to her on the bed 'but I'm glad you weren't' he told her 'Look…I know my past reputation isn't exactly great, but that's what it is. The past. I want you, Lauren. You and the baby' he told her softly. 'I want to protect you, keep you safe. I want to love you, make love to you' he said 'I want to make you happy' Lauren looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. 'I made you happy, didn't I?' he asked her 'before I fucked it all up and made you hate me?'

Lauren nodded her head 'yes' she said softly 'you did. The happiest I've ever been'

'I could make you happy again' he looked at her hopefully 'I mean…if it's what you wanted. If…If I'm what you want' he stammered nervously.

Lauren closed her eyes with a sigh 'what if mum's right about our feelings?'

'What if she isn't?' Joey asked her 'are you willing to walk away from us? Because I'm not' he shook his head 'you don't have to raise our baby alone, I want to be involved' Lauren slowly opened her eyes to gaze into Joey's. 'I know you're scared, baby, but you don't have to be. I'm not going to hurt you'

'I know' Lauren whispered softly 'I'm not scared of that' she told him 'I'm scared of losing you' she told him 'to someone else, someone prettier or someone better'

Joey smiled at her, shaking his head, 'that is never going to happen, kitten. There's no one prettier than you, no one better than you' he said to her, stroking her cheek with his thumb 'you're the girl I want' he told her. 'Look I know you probably don't believe me but I swear to you I've never felt this way about anyone else. You're not the only one who's scared here, Lauren' he told her 'The way I feel about you, the things I want…. It's everything I swore I'd never let myself want' he told her. 'When you broke up with me, you broke my heart, I've never ever felt a pain like that in my life, not even when my mother left us…but I saw what her leaving did to my dad' he told her, 'and I'm scared you're going to break my heart again and I don't know if I could survive that' he confessed, starting to pull his hand away from her face. She caught it and held it back against her cheek.

'I won't break your heart' she shook her head 'I promise' her eyes fell to his lips briefly before meeting his again. He edged closer to her hesitantly. His lips brushed across hers in a fleeting kiss.

'Tell me again' she whispered softly.

'I love you' he murmured against her lips.

Lauren smiled and twin tears rolled down her cheeks. She pressed her lips against his and his hand slid into her hair to cradle the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. He maneuvered them carefully so they were laying down on the bed. He broke the kiss to gaze down at her.

'I love you too, Joey' she told him.

'Yeah?' he asked her, his eyes sparkling with joy.

'Yeah' she nodded her head. 'I do' she told him.

Joey face lit up with a bright smile. His nose brushed against hers gently and he bent his head, kissing her softly and then pulling away from her slightly. 'Tell me again' he whispered against her lips.

Lauren slid her hands over his face and into the hair at the back of his head 'I love you'

'That's what I thought you said' he smiled.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

After a long time had passed, Joey broke the kiss and gazed down at her, brushing her hair tenderly away from her face. 'Is this okay? I'm not hurting the baby?'

Lauren shook her head 'its fine and the baby is okay' she said softly, drawing him down into a kiss. Her hands slid over his back and she pulled the bottom of his t-shirt up. Joey broke the kiss to let her pull it over his head. She smiled at him as she threw the t-shirt blindly away.

'Are you sure?' Joey asked her.

Lauren nodded her head 'I've never been more sure of anything' she said to him.

They undressed each other slowly, kissing and caressing each other. Once they were both naked Joey's head moved to her breast, drawing the nipple into his mouth and sucking on it softly, rolling it between his tongue and the roof of his mouth. She moaned softly, arching her back as his hand stimulated her other nipple and now she could feel his erection against her thigh, feeling it twitch and grow harder. He shifted as his mouth closed over her other nipple and she could feel his erection between her thighs. Joey felt her foot sliding up the back of his calf and he groaned against her breast. He needed to be inside her, it'd been too long. He needed her. His lips moved to her neck and he licked and kissed the skin, sucking the skin into his mouth and she moaned again.

'Joey…please' she whimpered softly. Joey raised his head to look at her as he positioned himself at her entrance and slowly pressed forward. She could feel him stretching her as he slid inside her. She'd forgotten how good this felt, the first few moments he was inside her. She got butterflies in her stomach every single time he entered her for the first time. Their eyes were fixed on each other's until he was fully inside her, neither of them moving as they both appreciated the moment. He smiled down at her and then slowly began to move.

They made love slowly and tenderly, they didn't need to hurry. They savoured the feelings they were both experiencing, not just the physical feelings of their love making but the emotional ones too. Lauren clung to Joey as he brought her to her first orgasm and worked her through it, building her towards another.

They cried out as their climaxes hit at the same time. Both of them were gasping for breath, both of them were sated…for now. Both of them were in love.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey smiled as he watched Lauren sleeping in his arms. She loved him. If he was honest, he already knew that she did but to hear her say it…to hear her say the words, well it made his heart feel full almost to the point of bursting. She was his. She'd always been his really since before they started their affair, neither of them admitting their feelings for each other, for fear of the other calling things off. But now, he was glad he'd her how he felt, how he'd felt for a long time. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. They'd talked about having dinner, Joey said he would cook and then Lauren had fallen asleep. Dinner would have to wait. He wasn't going to wake her. He pulled her against him gently, kissing her forehead again and he closed his eyes.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews… Well I think this is the chapter you've all been waiting for haven't you? I'll reply to all reviews later. Back tomorrow x**


	121. Chapter 121

**Chapter One Hundred and Twenty**

Joey woke with a start. There was a noise that had been cutting into his dream. He frowned and glanced down at the sleeping girl in his arms, relieved the noise hadn't woken her. He realised it was the door buzzer and he eased her gently out of his arms and climbed out of the bed. Picking up his jeans from the bedroom floor he pulled them on and grabbed his t-shirt on the way out of the bedroom. He pressed the button on phone by the door and opened the door to flat, straightening his t-shirt as he waited for whoever it was to come up the stairs.

'Dad!' he exclaimed in surprise. 'What are you doing here?' he asked him.

'I thought I'd come over and see if Lauren's okay and you too of course' Derek told him.

'Yeah, yeah, we're fine' he nodded his head, rubbing the back of his head with his hand.

'Are you going to invite me in?' Derek asked him.

'Er…yeah sure' Joey glanced towards the bedroom door and then nodded his head. 'Do you want a drink?' he asked.

'Only if you're having one' Derek said, Joey shut the door as his father stepped into the room and then walked to the sofa and sat down. Derek sat too. 'So she's doing okay?'

'Yeah, seems to be' Joey nodded his head.

'And the baby? The pregnancy is going okay?'

Joey nodded his head 'yeah it's going well. She's still having morning sickness at various times of the day. And she's less freaked out every time someone is at the door' he said 'she's doing okay' Joey repeated and he nodded his head with a small smile.

Derek looked at him 'And are you worried that Jake…' Derek paused and then frowned 'your t-shirt is on inside out' he told him.

Joey looked down at himself 'I was about to take a shower when you came over, I guess I just put it on inside out' he lied.

'Is Lauren in?' Derek asked him.

'Yeah she's asleep' he said. Derek's eyes moved to the bedroom and then back to Joey.

'Any news on the police investigation?'

'No, not yet. We're still waiting for some news' Joey said 'she was really brave at the station though, told them everything he'd done to her throughout their marriage. The Police have a good solid case against him'

'Well that's good' Derek said nodding his head.

'Yeah…they just need to find him and press charges'

'Find him? Isn't he in the cells?' Derek asked in surprise.

'His parents paid for a top lawyer, he got bail' Joey told him 'and then seems to have vanished into thin air' he sighed and got up 'I'll make some coffee' he walked into the kitchen leaving Derek on the sofa, considering what his son had told him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren stirred in the bedroom and rolled over, reaching for Joey, finding his side of the bed empty. She frowned and opened her eyes. She looked around the room and sat up. She heard noise coming from the kitchen and remembered him telling her he'd make them dinner tonight. She smiled and got out of bed, wrapping the sheet around herself before heading towards the bedroom door. She smiled and stepped into the lounge. Derek turned at the sound of the creak of the bedroom door opening. The smile died on his face as he saw her…suddenly things were beginning to fall into place. He blinked at her, shock replacing the smile.

'Here you go, dad' Joey said choosing that exact moment to come into the lounge with the coffee. He saw Lauren standing at the bedroom doorway, the sheet held around her obviously naked body. The look of surprise on her face. Her eyes met his and they were filled with worry, with guilt. Derek turned to Joey and Joey could see the questions, the accusations and the disappointment in his father's eyes.

Joey put the cups down on the coffee table 'dad, I can explain' he said.

Derek held up his hand as he shook his head. Without a word to either of them he got up and walked out of the flat leaving Joey staring after him.

**AN: Oopsie! Joey's dad seems to have arrived at a very inopportune time. I wonder that he's thinking now? Anyone want another chapter? Well you know what to do!**


	122. Chapter 122

**Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One**

'I'm…I'm sorry' Lauren's whispered voice brought Joey's attention back to her 'I didn't know Derek was here. I thought….I heard noise from the kitchen…I thought you were making dinner…I should've got dressed' she stammered nervously 'I'm sorry'

Joey turned to look at her and saw the worry on her face and in her eyes. He crossed over to her. 'Don't be, it's not your fault. You didn't know dad was here' he said, reaching for her. He saw her flinch slightly 'hey…I'm not going to hurt you' he said shaking his head. She swallowed and looked up at him.

'Sorry…' she whispered.

'Dad was going to find out about us sooner or later' Joey told her softly 'okay, maybe it was a little sooner than I would've liked but it's not your fault' he said with a gentle smile, his fingers traced her cheekbone, stopping at her chin to tilt her face upwards. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

'Don't you want to go and see your dad?' she asked him.

'I'll go tomorrow' Joey said 'right now, you're my priority' he kissed the tip of her nose. 'Are you hungry? Because I can fix dinner…'

'No, I'm not hungry' she shook her head.

'No?' Joey raised his eyebrows at her.

'Nope' she said quietly.

'Okay, so what do you want to do?' he asked her 'we could go for a walk or go to the Vic?'

Lauren licked her lips and took his hand, leading him back into the bedroom. Joey smiled as she pulled him into the room, closing the door behind her. She unwrapped the sheet from around her and tossed it onto the bed and hooked her fingers through the loops of his jeans, pulling him toward her, raising her face to his for a kiss. As she deepened the kiss he felt her fingers undo his fly and her hand slip inside his jeans to stroke him. He was partially hard from the moment she'd removed the sheet. She stroked him as he grew in her hand and he moaned into her mouth. Breaking the kiss, she pulled the bottom of the t-shirt up and pushed it up his chest. He raised his arms and she dragged it higher, until she couldn't reach any more. Joey smiled and took over, pulling it off and letting it drop to the floor. Lauren moved forward and kissed his chest as her hands moved to his jeans and shoved them down. He stepped out of them and placed his hands on her waist, picking her up easily. She wrapped her legs around his waist kissing his neck and throat as he carried her to the bed. He knelt on the bed, with Lauren still wrapped around him.

He kissed her neck, sucking the skin into his mouth gently, his lips moved to her breasts and he took one peak into his mouth and she tilted her head back with a gentle moan. Joey laid her back on the bed and removed his boxers. He moved over her, his cock was throbbing with arousal and he needed to be inside her. He pressed against her and she uttered another soft moan as he entered her slowly. Joey's hand moved to her knee and slid up to her thigh, hooking it high over his hip, causing him to sink a little further inside her.

'Oh!' she exclaimed as he brushed against her g-spot. Joey smiled as she hooked her other leg over his hip and he started to move inside her. Within minutes she was whimpering and groaning beneath him. He knew her body like he knew his own, he knew exactly what she liked and how to push her just a little bit further than she'd ever have imagined she could go. He bent his head and whispered in her ear before kissing her neck. He sucked on the skin gently at first and then a little harder, sending a jolt of pleasure to between her thighs. She knew he was marking her and she didn't care. She'd never had a lovebite before and since Joey had given her a lot of firsts it seemed only fair he got to be the first do to this to her as well.

'Joey….please…' she whispered and he increased his rhythm. They both came together and Joey groaned, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder, her neck then finally her lips as he pulsed over and over again inside her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren smiled as she lay in Joey's arms. 'What are you thinking?' he asked her softly as his fingers danced up and down her spine.

'I'm thinking about how happy I feel' she told him softly 'and I feel a bit guilty because I feel so happy when you've had a fight with your dad and I know I'm to blame' she said softly.

'Hey, look at me' he said, Lauren shifted slightly to meet his gaze.

'I never ever want you to feel guilty because of the way you feel' he told her 'we're not the bad guys here. We fell in love, we're having a baby together and once dad realises how we feel he'll come around' he told her softly. 'And if he doesn't well then that's his problem, it certainly won't be yours' he shook his head 'I'm not going to apologise for falling in love with you'

'I don't want you to' she told him as she reached up and gave him a peck of the lips, 'I don't want you to be sorry, I'm not' she shook her head. 'I love you, Joey and I don't want you ever to regret us'

Joey cupped her face in his hand 'I'm never going to regret us' he told her 'You make me feel alive, like I'm seeing everything with new eyes' he stroked her cheek with his thumb. 'I'm head over heels in love with you and I can't see that ever changing'

'Good' she whispered, kissing him softly.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews… so who thought Joey was going to go running after his dad to explain? I think he's putting it off because he's got a feeling he knows he's going to get yelled at! Well back later maybe… it's up to you xx**


	123. Chapter 123

**Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Two**

Max frowned as he walked through the gardens towards the pub. He'd agreed to meet Derek and Jack for a pint and to discuss how they could help Lauren. He saw Tanya sitting on the bench and walked over to her.

'Everything okay?' he asked her. Her head shot up to meet his eyes and he saw she was crying. 'Tanya?' he questioned as she wiped her eyes, 'what's happened?'

'Lauren and I had a fight' she said to him 'she's told me everything'

'I wish someone would tell me everything' Max said to her taking a seat beside her 'Jack's been acting a little strange when I ask him about it. He just tells me it's none of my business and I get the feeling Joey wants to talk to me but he seems a bit reluctant to and I don't want to push him to tell me what's wrong'

Tanya sighed 'Lauren and Joey have been having an affair' Tanya told him 'It'd been going on for nine months'

'What?' Max asked her, clearly shocked by the news.

'And that's not all of it. The baby…it's Joey's' Tanya said to him.

'Joey's'?' Max repeated.

'And they're in love and want to be together' Tanya continued.

'Joey's in love?' Max ran his hand over his chin 'with Lauren?' he said. 'Well everything starts to fall into place now' he said shaking his head with small smile.

'What do you mean?' Tanya looked at him.

'The way Joey's been lately…well for a while actually. I can't believe I didn't see it' he said to her 'He used to be a player…a real ladies man. Derek used to bust his balls about it. He wanted him to settle down with a nice girl, have a family but Joey never seemed to be interested in that. He seemed to be happy enough screwing his way through one night stand after one night stand. He's never really had an actual girlfriend before. Derek's wife, Joey's mother walked out on him and the kids when Joey was little, it really affected the boy' Max said 'She left overnight with another man…and Derek fell apart. Joey told me once he was never going to let any girl hurt him that badly. He was 10 at the time I think. Joey was so angry with his mother, furious…never had a good word to say about her since she left'

Tanya blinked at him 'I didn't know that' she said softly. 'About Joey's mother'

'He doesn't really talk about her' Max said 'It's as though she never existed. Derek tried to tell him what happened time and time again but Joey wouldn't hear any of it. As far as he was concerned she was the one in the wrong for not making her marriage work…and he was angry at Derek for not making her stay. A few months ago Derek told me Joey came to him and asked him about his mother, about what happened…that was a few months after Lauren had been here. Something tells me she had a little something to do with that' Max said 'Since Lauren's been here, Joey's changed. The two of them became very close very quickly. And yes that might have something to do with the fact he fancied her, but from what I saw, the feeling was mutual' Max looked at her 'He's been a lot happier since she's been here and Lauren seemed really happy too. Until Jake arrived' Max frowned 'When he showed up, you could see the change in Lauren instantly. She didn't tell us she was married so it came as a bit of a shock to us all…especially for Joey' Max recalled. 'I don't think he and Lauren saw much of each other afterwards. He told me she was avoiding him at work. He didn't understand why she'd lied to him, to all of us' he said 'I told him she must've had a good reason to and when she told him, when she wanted to explain, he needed to listen. I guess he did'

'I feel guilty that I had no idea Lauren was so unhappy in her marriage…the things Jake did to her…I feel sick to my stomach when I think of what she must've been thinking or feeling' she told him 'I feel as though this is all my fault. I should never have let them get married…'

'It isn't your fault. You have to let kids grow up and make their own mistakes, that's the only way they learn about life'

'Lauren learnt the hard way' Tanya said as fresh tears fell. 'I was 18 when I fell pregnant with her. I got drunk at a party and had sex with a boy I didn't even know. My parents were furious when they found out and insisted I have an abortion. When I refused they kicked me out. That was the last time I saw them. They've never even met Lauren' she told Max. 'I shouldn't have let her get married, she was so young, but at the same time I didn't want her to make the same mistakes I did. Not that I regret for one second having Lauren, I don't. But I wanted her to have options, we spoke about abortion and she was determined she wasn't going to do that. I told her I would support her if she wanted to have the baby, I'd help her as much as I could but she said she wanted to marry Jake. So I let her' Tanya said 'everything that's happened to her since that day has been my fault…I let her down' she sniffed

'Hey…come on now' Max said, putting his arm around her. She lay her head on his shoulder 'She got through it okay, didn't she?' he asked her 'look at her now. She's a very brave young woman'

'She had to be' Tanya said 'and I did nothing to help her'

'How could you help her? You didn't know' Max said 'Tanya this isn't your fault and it's not Lauren's fault. It's Jake's. He did this, no one else' Max tried to comfort her. He saw his brothers walk out of the pub and over to Derek's house.

'When I saw Lauren earlier in the pub, she told me the baby was Joey's and he'd told her he wanted to be with her, support her. She told me he loved her…I now she was asking me for advice on what to do and I told her not to rush into anything with Joey. I told her she could raise this baby alone. She didn't need a man in her life to do that…I got angry with her when she starting telling me how Joey made her feel. I told her it wasn't love, it was infatuation. I walked out on her…letting her down again. Tanya sniffed and Max pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to her 'Thank you' she whispered.

'Joey's a good boy' Max said 'he'll look after her, and the baby' he said 'Look, why don't we go to the Vic, you can freshen up in the ladies and I'll buy some drinks' he told her.

Tanya nodded her head 'okay' she said with a smile

'Have you eaten? We could have dinner?'

'I am pretty hungry' Tanya nodded her head again. 'Thank you'

'You're welcome. It's all part of the Branning family motto. See a damsel in distress and we swoop into help' he told her. They got up and Tanya wiped her eyes again and held the handkerchief out to Max. 'You keep it' he smiled at her.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews. Poor Tanya she's upset she's had a fight with Lauren and who comes to her rescue? Max Branning. Looks like rescuing damsels in distress runs in the family! Leave me a review. Back tomorrow x **


	124. Chapter 124

**Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Three**

The next day Joey went over to see his father. He let himself in as Alice was leaving. 'I'd turn around and go back out if I were you' she warned him with a shake of her head 'I don't know what's pissed him off but he's in a pretty bad mood' she said to him.

'Thanks for the heads up, Al' Joey said 'but I need to talk to him'

'Well, don't say I didn't warn you' she sighed, thinking her brother was a glutton for punishment. She grabbed her coat and bag 'I'll see you later' she smiled at her brother.

He closed the door behind her and headed towards the kitchen 'what have you forgotten, Angel?' Derek turned from the sink as he heard footsteps come into the room. He frowned when he saw Joey. 'I wondered how long it would take you to come over here. Whatever you have to say Joseph I do not want to hear it' Derek said turning back to the sink, picking up the towel and drying his hands.

'It isn't what you think, dad' Joey said wincing after his father used his full name, he only did that when he was well and truly in the dog house.

'I think you've been having an affair with a married woman' Derek said bluntly.

'Well…yes. I have but…'

'I can't believe you would do that. You saw what your mother's affair did to me, to this family. And yet you think it's okay to break up someone else's marriage?' he snapped at his son 'well I hope you're proud of yourself'

'It wasn't like that. Her marriage was already broken…'

'Is that how you're justifying your actions to yourself?' Derek said, throwing the towel on the side by the sink and turning to face his son. 'You think what you did was okay because Lauren's marriage was going through a rough patch?' he frowned at him 'you disgust me'

Joey blinked at him 'dad, please I can explain…it's not as cut and dried as you think' he told him 'I didn't plan for this to happen. Yes I fancied her and I told you as much, but when I found out she was married I wasn't going to get involved with her'

'But you did' Derek shouted at him 'Do you ever think using your head Joey instead of with your dick?' he gestured to Joey's groin.

'That's not fair…'Joey frowned feeling his own temper rising.

'Isn't it?' Derek raised his eyebrows at Joey 'You seem to be perfectly happy spending your whole life screwing everything that moves'

'I love her' Joey said ignoring his father's last statement.

'You…you love her? You don't know the meaning of the word' Derek said sharply, shaking his head in disgust. 'You lied to me. Time and time again to my face when I asked you point blank if there was anything going on between you and Lauren' he said to him.

'I didn't lie all the times you asked me. The first couple of times I was telling you the truth'

'Your version of the truth, you mean' Derek said to him 'who would've thought you'd turn out like her'

'Who' Joey frowned confused.

'Like mother, like son' he spat at him.

Joey blinked, shaking his head 'I'm nothing like my mother' he frowned at Derek 'don't you dare compare me to her' he raised his voice, his anger starting to break free of his father's accusation.

'Why not?' Derek asked him 'you've done exactly the same thing she did. Wrecked a marriage, wrecked a kids life…Albeit before the kid has even been born' Derek said to him 'you disgust me. I hope you're pleased with yourself'

'Lauren wanted it too' Joey replied sulkily.

'SHE WAS VULNERABLE' Derek shouted at him. Joey took a step back from his father 'SHE WAS NIAVE. AND YOU…YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT…YOU SEDUCED HER'

'That's not what I did…she was…is a consenting adult' Joey said, shaking his head.

'You make me sick…I look at you and I can't see where I went wrong'

'You didn't do anything wrong, dad' Joey said shaking his head.

'No? Clearly I did if my son thinks it's acceptable to screw around with a married woman! Was she the first? Have there been others?'

'Of course not' Joey shook his head 'Lauren was the first…' he licked his lips 'dad I…I'm sorry I'

'Don't you dare apologise to me' Derek snapped at him furiously 'I'm so ashamed of you. I can't even stand to look at you. Get out of my house'

'Dad please…'

'Get out of my house before I throw you out' Derek warned him in a growl 'you are everything I despise in a man' he told him 'Go! Get out of my sight before I do something we'll both regret' he clenched his fists by his sides.

Joey nodded his head. 'I know you don't want to hear this, dad. But I am sorry. I never wanted to disappoint you...' Joey whispered, all his previous fire gone as he heard the words his father had to say. He waited a beat for his father to say something but he didn't. Joey sighed and turned walking out of the house. Derek heard the front door open and then close softly and he buried his face in his hands and cried.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren heard the door to the flat open and close. 'Joey, is that you?' she called out from the bathroom.

'Yeah it's me' Joey said walking into the bedroom and sitting down on the foot of the bed.

'Did you get the eggs and milk?' she asked him as she walked to the doorway. She frowned as she saw his face 'okay I'm guessing that expression isn't because they were out of eggs and milk at the MinuteMart' she said walking over to him and sitting beside him. 'What happened? Did you run into mum?' she asked him.

'No' Joey laughed bitterly, shaking his head 'I wish. I went to see dad. To explain' he told her.

'I take it things didn't go well' Lauren asked softly.

'That's the understatement of the year' Joey replied looking down at his hands on his lap. 'He's even more pissed off at me than Jack is' Joey told her.

'Look, I'm sure once the initial shock has worn off things will sort themselves out and you and your dad and Uncle Jack will be okay again'

Joey shook his head 'Uncle Jack, I can take being mad at me. Our relationship is pretty much all about Jack being mad at me. But dad…' he frowned 'the things he said…' he trailed off

'What things?' Lauren questioned.

'It doesn't matter' Joey said, suddenly dismissive. He stood up and checked his pockets for money, 'I'd better go and get the milk and eggs' he told her walking towards the door once more. Lauren frowned, following him, grabbing his arm as he reached for the lock.

'Breakfast can wait' she told him firmly 'talk to me, Joey.'

He sighed, closing his eyes and letting her lead him to the sofa. She pushed on his shoulders and he sat down. She perched in front of him on the coffee table. 'He blames me' Joey told her not meeting her gaze 'for the break-up of your marriage'

'That ridiculous' Lauren frowned 'there was nothing for you to break up'

'You and I both know that, but he doesn't' Joey sighed.

'Did you try to explain?'

'Of course I tried to explain!' he snapped at her, raising his head. She blinked at him, leaning away from him, clearly surprised at his angry retort. He saw the trace of fear on her face and he closed his eyes with a sigh. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you'

'It's okay' Lauren whispered softly 'it was a stupid question'

'No, it wasn't' Joey shook his head. 'He wouldn't let me explain, he said he didn't want to hear it' Joey told her 'as far as he's concerned the break-down of your marriage is all my fault. I'm the bad boy in all this'

'Hey' Lauren sat forward again, taking Joey's hands in hers 'we both know that's not true' she reminded him quietly. 'Give your dad a day or two to calm down and then go over and try to talk to him again, or we could invite him over for dinner and we can both talk to him'

'He won't come' he shook his head 'and he won't listen'

'You don't know that' Lauren said softly.

'Yes I do' Joey looked at her 'he's a pretty stubborn man. If you don't believe me you can ask my mum' Joey said and then he laughed sadly 'well you could if we knew where she was.'

Lauren took a deep breath and nodded her head 'I see stubbornness runs in the family then' she replied. Joey looked at her, a ghost of a smile on his lips. 'Maybe I should go and see him?' she asked him 'try to explain things'

'No. I don't want you getting in the middle' he told softly. 'Thank you for offering…to be honest though, I don't think anyone can help' he shook his head sadly.

'What he did say?' Lauren asked him again.

'It doesn't matter' Joey told her.

'It matters to me. You're clearly upset about what Derek said' she looked at him 'hey…you've been there for me when I needed you, let me be here for you' she told him. Joey's eyes met hers, gazing into them. Lauren wasn't sure he was going to tell her but then he started to speak.

'He told me I was everything he despised in a man' Joey told her quietly 'he's ashamed of me, of what I did. He said I was my mother's son' he swallowed 'he said he was sick of the sight of me'

'He's just angry, Joey that's all' Lauren comforted him 'once he knows how we feel…'

'I told him I loved you but he just said I didn't know the meaning of the word' he looked down.

'I'm sorry' she whispered softly. 'This is my fault…if it wasn't for me…'

'No' Joey shook his head 'I'm not sorry' he told her 'I told you before I don't regret a single moment of us' he told her softly. 'I never will' he took a deep breath and sniffed. 'Well how about that breakfast, hey?' he asked her.

'I could eat' she said with a smile.

'I'll be back in five minutes' Joey told her. He leant forward and kissed her softly. Lauren watched him as he left the flat. Guilt overwhelmed her. She knew Joey had asked her not to talk to Derek but she had to. She had to put things straight. Fix Joey's relationship with his dad. They both meant too much to her not to try.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews for TBB. As a reward here is one more chapter for tonight! So Derek wasn't too pleased with Joey and his affair with a married woman…hit a little too close to home I think. And Lauren blames herself and wants to fix things…wonder how she will get on! Leave me a review. Back tomorrow xx **


	125. Chapter 125

**Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Four**

Tanya sat in the café, nursing her coffee, facing the counter. She saw Joey come in followed a few seconds later by Max. 'All right Joey?' Max said to him.

'I've been better' Joey replied.

'What's Derek up to? He was supposed to meet me at the Vic last night for a drink.'

'I'd be the last person he'd tell' Joey said 'I'm not exactly his favourite person right now'

Max frowned, seeing how upset his nephew was 'Sit down, I'll buy you a coffee and we can talk about it' Max suggested.

'I can't, Lauren's waiting for me' Joey told him.

'I'm sure she won't mind waiting a bit longer, Joey' Max told him 'come on, come and sit down'

'I can't, I'm sorry' Joey shook his head as he paid for the pastries. Joey walked out of the café leaving Max confused. He sighed and ordered a coffee to go. As he waited he looked around the café and saw Tanya sitting by herself at a table. He smiled at her, turning back to the counter and paying for his coffee. He picked it up and walked over to her table.

'Mind if I join you?' he asked her.

'No' she smiled at him. 'What were you talking to Joey about?'

'I asked him where Derek was last night' Max said 'I think the two of them have had a falling out' he frowned. 'He looked a little bit upset…actually he looked very upset'

'Maybe you should go over and see if he's okay?' Tanya suggested.

'We could both go, you could talk to Lauren' Max said.

Tanya thought about it 'We could take a bit of lunch over?'

Max beamed at her 'Good idea. Not just a pretty face are you?' Tanya blushed at the compliment.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey was distant after breakfast and Lauren's guilt meter went up another couple of notches. He was sitting in the lounge reading the paper and she was watching him worriedly. She knew he wasn't really reading the paper, he hadn't turned the page for almost fifteen minutes. She wished he open up to her more….she wanted to help him. She sighed for the tenth time and got up again, going into the kitchen. Joey frowned, folding the paper and tossing it onto the coffee table. 'Are you okay?' he asked her leaning against the doorway of the kitchen.

'Shouldn't I be asking you that?' she asked him.

'I asked you first and I'm fine' he told her.

Lauren sighed 'I just can't get settled' she told him. Panic crossed his face and his attention moved to her stomach.

'Is it the baby? Are you having cramps? Shall I call the doctor? Or maybe I should take you to the hospital?' he fired off questions frantically and rushed to her side, one hand sliding over her stomach. 'Are you bleeding?'

'No it's not the baby. The baby is fine' she reassured him softly. 'I'm just feeling a little restless, being stuck inside all the time' she said to him.

'You know it's not safe for you to be outside when we don't know where Jake is' Joey told her.

'I know, but I'm going stir crazy being cooped up in here' she said looking up at him 'can't we go to the Vic for lunch?' she asked him 'it's just across the square'

'Lauren…' he started to move away from her having had this conversation several times with her already and not really wanting to have it again.

'Please Joey…? An hour tops' she pleaded with him. 'I want one of their burgers'

'No. If you want a burger I'll order it and go and pick it up for you' he told her, moving into the lounge and sitting down again.

'Don't bother' she muttered under her breath. She walked through to the lounge and instead of sitting down next to him she carried on walking to the bedroom 'I'm going to go for a nap' she told him, closing the bedroom door behind her.

She lay down on the bed with a frown, if she couldn't talk him into taking her to the Vic for a pub lunch, how in the hell was she going to talk him into letting her out of the flat by herself long enough to sneak over to Derek's. She folded her arms over her chest and tried to come up with a plan.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Half an hour later the bedroom door opened and Joey came in. 'Are you going to sulk in here all afternoon?' he asked her.

'I'm not sulking' she pouted.

'Well it looks as though you've got your wish. Max and your mum are here. They wondered if we wanted to have lunch…at the Vic. I'll tell them you're too busy sulking shall I?' he asked her in an amused tone.

She sat up and looked at him 'we're going to the Vic?' she asked him.

'Yes, so get a move on' he told her with a smile.

Lauren grinned and threw herself off the bed, heading for the bathroom. She paused and turned back to him, hugging him tightly 'thank you' she grinned before darting into the bathroom.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren was pleased to be out of the confines of the flat but not so pleased to be spending the time with her mother, who was shooting Joey condescending looks when she thought no one was looking.

'Mum, if you've got something to say, just say it' she snapped at her mother, putting her burger down on her plate.

'What? No, I have nothing to say' Tanya shook her head.

'Then stop looking at Joey like he's something you've trodden in' she frowned at her. 'I've made my decision. I love him and he loves me and we want to be together, to raise our baby. The sooner you get used to the idea better the better and if you can't get used to it then you may as well go back to Bexley' she frowned at her mother. Joey and Max were a little taken back by Lauren's outburst. 'Excuse me' Lauren got up and disappeared through the doors that led to the toilets.

Tanya blinked after her 'she's a little hormonal' Joey said to her by means of an explanation. 'I think she's also slowly going mad, being shut up in the flat 24/7.' he told them both. He glanced around the pub as he spoke 'I'm just worried. With Jake being out there somewhere he might come back here and try to make good on his threats' Joey told them both. 'I think she thinks I'm being a little too over protective'

'What threats?' Tanya asked him with a frown.

'He threatened to kill her, more than once. Said he would never divorce her. He told her he took his marriage vows very seriously especially the til death do us part one' Joey explained, his eyes watching the door Lauren had disappeared through. 'Although it was fine for him to have affairs though'

'He did what?' Tanya paled considerably. 'Then why in the hell did you let her come out?'

'Because she's pregnant and hormonal' Joey replied 'and I figured safety in numbers' he licked his lips. 'Tanya…I know you don't like me…'

'Is that what Lauren said? I never said that' she said defensively.

'You didn't have to' Joey said his eyes darting between hers and the door. 'And I get why you're so protective of Lauren now, I do. I tried to get her to tell you what was going on but she said you had your own life to lead and didn't need to be dragged into her problems. I promise you this' he said turning his full attention to her 'I will never let Jake do anything to hurt her. I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.' he told her honestly. His eyes burning into hers. 'Whatever it takes' he repeated, his meaning clear. Max swallowed at the intensity of his words 'I love her. I make her happy. She makes me happy and we're having a baby together. You can either decide to be part of that or you decide you don't want to be. That's your choice. But I will not have her made to feel guilty for falling in love or wanting what she does' he told her.

'I want her to be happy too. And of course I want to be in her life' Tanya said softly.

Joey nodded as the door leading to the toilets opened and Lauren came out. He smiled at her as she walked back towards them. 'Good' Joey said. Lauren sat down at the table and she picked up her burger and started to eat again. 'Seems you've got your appetite back' Joey said.

'Mmmhmm. I'm starving' she mumbled through a mouthful of food.

'Morning sickness better?' Tanya asked her.

'Ooeey got meee nff ergh sterf ergh stad' she replied.

Tanya frowned, Joey laughed 'she said Joey got me the stuff you suggested' he said.

Lauren swallowed 'that's what I said' she looked at him with a frown.

'The mint tea is helping?' Tanya asked her, Lauren nodded her head.

'It helps a lot…Joey likes it too' she said turning to him with a smile.

'We need more' Joey said 'I was going to go into town to get some tomorrow but…'

'He's afraid I'll sneak out of the flat by myself' Lauren finished his sentence for him.

'Well then how about I come over and keep you company and we can talk some more and this time I will listen properly' Tanya suggested. 'We can make a list of the things you'll need for the baby'

Lauren looked at her mother and smiled at her 'I'd like that' she replied 'maybe we could wait for Joey to come back though before we go through the things we need for the baby?' she suggested. Tanya looked up and Joey and she nodded her head.

'That's a good idea, give me a chance to get to know Joey better'

'Great, that's settled then' Lauren smiled and she looked at Joey's plate 'are you going to eat that?' she nodded towards his half eaten burger.

'Given half a chance….yes' he replied with a grin. Lauren frowned and then pouted.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews… Here is the next chapter… I wonder how Lauren is going to scheme her way out of the flat long enough to be able to go and see Derek? Any ideas? Leave me a review. There may be another chapter tonight… It's one you're all waiting for I think. Laters x x**


	126. Chapter 126

**Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Five**

Much to Lauren's relief the day with her mother went much better than she thought it would. Max and Joey had given Lauren and her mother some space and when Lauren glanced over at them it looked as though they were deep in conversation. And whatever Max was saying to Joey seemed to be making him look less worried and when they returned to the table he was visibly more relaxed. Her mother and Joey seemed to be getting on fine, which made her very happy. She'd shown Joey just how happy she was later that night. As she was falling asleep a plan began to form in her mind of how she could get out of the flat to see Derek. She hoped it would work.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren waited nervously on the doorstep of number 23 Albert Square. Usually she'd just walk right in like she was one of the family. She guessed Derek wouldn't appreciate it if she took that liberty right now. She knew Joey was pretty upset with the fight he'd had with his father over his relationship with her. She wanted to do some damage control, she wanted to explain. She wanted to try and make things right between father and son. She needed to. She rang the bell again and a few moments later she heard footsteps towards the front door and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Seconds later the door was opened and Derek blinked at her, clearly surprised to find her standing on the doorstep. 'Lauren! You don't usually knock' he said to her.

'I thought under the circumstances I should' she explained. 'Can I come in?'

Derek nodded, opening the door wider to let her in. 'I was making some tea. Do you want some?'

'Tea makes me a little queasy lately, I'd like some water though' Lauren said, walking through to the lounge. She sat down on the sofa, waiting for Derek to reappear. He came back moments later with a mug of tea for himself and a glass of water for her, which she took with a small smile and a whispered thank you. He sat down on the chair to the side of her.

'Well I think I can guess why you're here' he said to her with a sigh 'you've come to tell me I've been unfair to Joey'

'Actually I didn't come here to talk about the fight you and Joey had' she told him 'not directly anyway. I came to explain my behaviour' she told him.

'Your behaviour?' he questioned. 'Sweetheart, your behaviour isn't my concern' he said shaking his head.

Lauren blinked, stung by his words as she misinterpreted them. She looked down at the glass in her hand. 'Joey didn't break up my marriage' she continued 'my marriage was already broken' she took a deep breath 'Jake and I were never in love. He only married me because I was pregnant and his parents made him. His father told him he'd made his bed now he had to lie in it. And my mum…I told my mum I loved Jake, I mean at the time I thought I did' she frowned as she remembered 'I was excited that I was pregnant and I thought having the baby would fix everything between me and Jake…I guess I learned things the hard way' she added with a bitter laugh 'I've asked Jake for a divorce so many times I've lost count but he always refused'

'Why didn't you just file for divorce yourself?' Derek asked her with a frown.

'Because I had no money, no personal documents…before I moved here, I used to work in one of Jake's restaurants. My pay used to go into his bank account and he'd give me the odd £10 or £20 here and there. I couldn't cook so he used to do all the shopping and buy all the things I'd need to clean the house. My birth certificate, passport and national insurance card were locked in the safe at the restaurant so I couldn't get to them. It took me years to save up the money I needed to leave him. Mum used to give me birthday and Christmas money so I'd buy something small and keep the rest, telling Jake mum brought me the small thing I'd got. I used to hide the money under the floorboards at the house in Bexley. She licked her lips 'When I came here I had enough money for about 6 month's rent and I knew I'd get more from the job at the club. I used the rest of the money I saved to buy the car. I knew I should've packed up and left…I just needed some more money to live on, so I figured another couple of months at the club and I'd be able to go. Part of me didn't want to go though, because of the way you all made me feel welcome. You invited me into your home and into your family and for the first time in a long time I felt like I belonged somewhere, I had friends, my own friends and I felt safe here' she licked her lips and raised her head to look at Derek. He was watching her intently. 'My marriage with Jake was at times violent, but not all the time. Violence was what he called the last resort. When I didn't listen…' she paused, taking a breath and sipping the water 'most of the time he was just mean and cruel. If someone tells you enough times you're worthless, useless, unattractive…you start to believe it' she told him softly.

'Lauren…' Derek sat forward in his chair.

'I liked Joey the first time I saw him' she admitted, her face flushing slightly 'and yes he flirted with me…at the time I didn't think he was being serious…he was like that with all the girls so I figured it was just how he was' she took another breath 'Joey didn't start things between us…I did' she saw surprise cross Derek's face. 'And then Jake came here' Lauren looked down 'I don't know how he found me. I was sure I didn't leave anything behind to give away where I'd gone' she frowned as she thought about it. 'Nothing had really happened between me and Joey before then, just a couple of kisses, that's all. And when Jake found me, after I'd explained things to Joey I told him nothing could happen between us and Joey agreed. I was scared of what Jake would do to Joey if he found out' she said looking down again. Her hands were shaking as she talked. 'And besides Joey wasn't looking to get involved with a married woman. He didn't want to be like his mother, he didn't want to break up a marriage. But he didn't…not really' Lauren shook her head.

Derek put his tea down on the table by the side of his chair, getting up and moving to sit beside Lauren. He took the glass from her and placed it carefully on the table. 'Sweetheart…you don't need to explain…'

'Yes. I do' she nodded her head 'Please?' she looked at Derek. He sighed and nodded his head. Lauren continued 'It started properly after I'd broken my arm. Or rather after Jake had broken my arm' she glanced up at Derek briefly seeing the surprise on his face again 'we were at the club and he was trying to comfort me and he kissed me. He apologised afterwards and said it shouldn't have happened. And I told him I wasn't sorry and I was hoping it would happen again' she admitted, her face flushed as she admitted that to Derek. 'I knew he was still comparing himself to his mum'

'You broke your arm nearly a year ago' he said, quickly working out the timing.

'Ten months ago, yes' she nodded her head 'and Joey and I had been having an affair until about a month ago. I ended things because I thought he'd been seeing other girls behind my back. After…after I came out of the hospital he took me back to his, he said I could stay until I'd figured out what I was going to do' Lauren paused again. 'He told me he loved me' she smiled 'he said he wanted to be with me, take care of me and the baby' she explained softly 'Joey makes me happy. He makes me feel safe and loved. Joey and I…the first time we've been together since we broke up was the day you came over' Lauren told him. 'I love him' she said with a smile 'I really love him' she turned to look at Derek. 'What happened wasn't Joey's fault, it was mine' she told him 'So the fight you two had is my fault too. Joey loves you and he hates to think he's disappointed you, that he's made you angry' she swallowed 'I'm the one you should be disappointed in, angry with' she told him. 'Not Joey' she shook her head. Her phone shrilled in her pocket, making them both jump. She pulled it out and looked at it. 'It's Joey. He's probably wondering where I am. I snuck out of the flat when he was in the shower' she admitted sheepishly, rising to her feet. She rejected the call guiltily before she pushed the phone back into her pocket. 'I'd better go' she said 'thank you for the water' she walked to the door and opened it, stepping outside. She turned to look at Derek and saw he was standing in the doorway of the lounge, looking at her. 'I don't make a habit of this' she said quietly 'Joey's the only person I've slept with other than Jake' she told him, her cheeks flushed again.

'The baby?' Derek asked her.

'The baby is Joey's' Lauren told him softly. She turned to go and then turned back to look at him. 'I'm sorry we lied to you…' she said sincerely 'that we hurt you. We didn't intend to' she said and she turned and walked away.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Here is the second chapter I promised you. There will be a return to only one chapter a night from Monday as I am having to return to the land of work! So Lauren managed to sneak out if the house and Joey has discovered she's missing! I wonder what he is going to have to say about that. Do you think Derek has listened to her? Made him see what their relationship really is? Let me know what you think the next chapter will up tomorrow. Leave me a review.**


	127. Chapter 127

**Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Six**

Lauran's phone rang again as she hurried back to the flat. Glancing at the display she saw it was Joey calling her again. She rejected the call due to the fact she was almost back at the flat, she'd deal with his wrath then. She pulled open the bottom door and ran up the stairs, fishing her key out of her pocket. She was about to put the key in the lock when the door was opened from the inside and she was face to face with a very pissed off Joey. He was fresh out of the shower, water dripping from his hair. Looking at his face she realised he was very pissed off …. very wet…and very very sexy.

Lauren let her eyes drop to his naked torso, down to the fluffy pink towel he had wrapped around his waist, slung low on his hips in way that made him so incredibly sexy. She frowned, thinking that Joey looking _**that**_ sexy should be illegal. She licked her lips as she felt her body reacting to what she was looking at. There was a faint smile on her face as her eyes travelled upwards to look at his face again. There was a fury in his eyes she'd never seen before, the smile dropped from her face as she stepped into the room, suddenly feeling a little scared and wondering if she'd mad a huge mistake not answering her phone and letting him yell at her before she returned home. She headed towards the bedroom, hearing the flat door slam shut behind her. The loud noise made her jump a little. Joey was really pissed at her. She knew he was following her as she sat down on the bed and glanced up at him. 'Hi' she said with a sheepish smile.

'Don't "Hi" me' he frowned at her 'where the fuck have you been?' he snapped at her.

She shrugged casually 'Relax. I was just running an errand, I'm back in one piece' she took her shoes off and placed them on the floor, shrugging off her coat and putting on the bed beside her.

'What errand?' he asked her as she got up and turned to face him. He folded his arms over his chest, her eyes falling to look at it again, drifting left and right to his biceps. He was hot…sexy and hot and wet. Lauren looked back at his face. He was also still mad at her. But even being mad at her he still looked hot.

Lauren shrugged, thinking now wasn't the best time to tell him she'd snuck out of the house and gone behind his back to talk to Derek. 'It's not important'

'No? Well it seemed important enough for you to sneak out of the flat while my back was turned' he bit back.

She felt her own anger rising now 'I wouldn't have to sneak out of you would let me out of the flat. You're keeping me in here like some kind of prisoner!' she snapped back at him

'For a good reason!' he shouted at her 'We have no idea where Jake is. The Police have no idea where he is either. He could be anywhere. He could be in the square somewhere watching the flat…waiting for you to leave the flat alone before he makes his move'

Lauren rolled her eyes 'I was gone less than fifteen minutes and as you can see I'm fine' her hands moved to her hips. 'Don't you think you're overreacting just a little bit, Joey?' she said walking into the bathroom.

'You think it would take more than two minutes for Jake to bundle you into a car and drive you off somewhere? Or for him to drag you down an alleyway and slit your throat?' He said as followed her into the bathroom. She looked at him in the mirror 'He's threatened to kill you, Lauren, have you forgotten that?' Joey frowned at her. 'And it's not just you, you need to be thinking about now is it? You're pregnant. You have our baby to think about too'

Lauren sighed, looking down briefly 'Okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snuck out' she told him.

'No' he shook his head 'that's not good enough, Lauren' he told her 'I'm busting my arse here trying to do everything I can to keep you safe and you sneak out while I'm in the shower'

Lauren turned to look at him 'Joey, it's not that big of a deal' she said softly.

'Not a big deal?' he asked her with a frown 'okay then, you roam around free and when I have to visit you in hospital or your mother has to identify your body, maybe then you'll think it's a big deal' his tone rose sharply. 'Oh, wait. You won't be able to think. YOU'LL BE DEAD!' he snapped.

Lauren swallowed, not used to Joey's anger being directed at her. Sure they'd had their fair share of arguments but usually they were centred around Jake and they weren't anything like this. She frowned 'Joey…' she whispered.

'When it is going to be a big deal to you hey?' he asked her, either not hearing her speak or choosing to ignore her 'when he's got his hands wrapped around your throat? When your visions going black because he's choking you? Or maybe when you're lying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs losing this baby too….will it be a big deal to you then?' he growled at her. He saw the blood drain from her face as he brought up her past. Her eyes filled with tears and Joey felt guilty, but he needed to make her see how worried he was about her, how scared he was of losing her and the baby. 'You have to be careful, Lauren' he said his voice softer now.

'Alright, fine. I'll stay locked up in the flat feeling afraid and anxious. I'm sure it'll do me, the baby and our relationship the world of good' she frowned at him, dashing away her tears. 'I've been afraid of him for the last 9 years of my life. Why should now be any different?' she pushed past him to go back into the bedroom.

'Lauren' he caught her arm but she yanked it away forcefully. She stumbled and fell into the corner of the drawers, hitting herself hard in the side. 'Lauren…' Joey exclaimed, reaching for her.

'Don't' she spat at him angrily 'just leave me alone' She climbed onto the bed and curled up in a ball facing away from him, refusing to let him see how much her run in with the drawer had hurt. He dressed quickly and quietly, leaving the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind him.

Once he was gone, Lauren let the tears fall. When Joey went to check on her an hour later she was asleep. He closed the door quietly and went back to the lounge, feeling awful what had just happened between them.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

When Lauren woke up she felt strange. She sat up and the room spun. Thinking she was going to be sick she rushed through to the bathroom and crouched down at the toilet. A sharp pain cut through her side, making her gasp for breath. She breathed through the pain and pulled herself upright and put the toilet seat down and sat on it. The pain came again, bringing a cramping like sensation with it. She frowned and stood up again, pulling her jogging bottoms and knickers down. Peering at the fabric she started to panic as she saw blood. Her hand covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Her heart was racing in her chest and her breathing was fast…too fast. She was almost hyperventilating.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Joey looked up as the bedroom door opened, the apology that was on the tip of his tongue instantly forgotten as he saw her tears. 'Lauren…what's wrong?' he asked her, leaping up off the sofa.

'I'm cramping' she told him with a shaky voice 'and I'm bleeding'

**AN: Thank you for your reviews ****. So naughty Lauren snuck out to see Derek whilst Joey was in the shower! Bad girl Lauren! Do you think she was being too blasé about being out on her own or do you think Joey has a point? Would Jake seek revenge for Lauren getting him arrested? Anyone else have the picture of a very naked and wet Joey wearing nothing but a pink fluffy towel around his waist…water dripping from his hair onto his chest and running over his muscles done lower and lower until they hit that pink towel…. Sorry I digress…What's happening with the baby? Next chapter up tomorrow. Leave me a review xx **


	128. Chapter 128

**Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Seven**

Joey helped Lauren out of the taxi and put his arm around her, holding her close to his side as he led her into the flat. Derek saw them as he headed towards the Vic. He frowned wondering where they'd been. From the brief glimpse he got of them, they both looked upset. He was worried about them both. After his chat with Lauren this morning he'd felt terrible for the things he'd said to Joey. He should've listened to what his son had to say before he'd jumped to conclusions and become judge, juror and executioner. He changed direction and headed towards the flat.

Joey had just settled Lauren on the sofa, when the buzzer sounded. 'I'll ignore them' he told her softly 'they'll go away'

'It could be mum' Lauren said, her voice hoarse from her tears.

Joey nodded, perhaps Lauren would benefit from having her mother there. He crossed over to the phone on the wall and pressed the release button. He glanced at Lauren and opened the door to the flat, surprised when his father appeared. 'I saw you come in' Derek said to him 'Is everything okay?' he saw the strain on his son's face. He feared the worse when Joey invited him in. 'Lauren, sweetheart?' he said softly.

Lauren looked up at him, forcing a smile onto her face 'Hi Derek...' she got up and took a few steps towards the kitchen.

'Hey!' Joey rushed to her side 'where do you think you're going?' he turned her carefully and ushered her back to the sofa.

'I was going to make some tea' she told Joey.

Joey settled her back on the sofa, lowering his voice as she spoke to her 'you heard what the doctor said to you at the hospital. 'You need to take things easy'

'I can make tea' Lauren looked up at him.

'He also mentioned rest and staying off your feet' he reminded her. 'Making tea doesn't keep you off your feet' Lauren sighed and nodded her head.

'I know. I heard him, I was there too' she looked down.

'I'll make us some tea. Do you want your mint tea?' he asked her.

She shook her head 'can I have a weak coffee?'

'Of course you can, kitten' he said to her. He stroked her cheek with his fingers and kissed her forehead. 'I'll be right back. Do not move' he told her firmly.

Joey stood up and made eye contact with Derek, heading into the kitchen. Derek took the hint and followed him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey closed the door once his father had entered the room. 'Whatever other hurtful things you've come to say they're going to have to wait until some other time. I don't want Lauren getting upset any more than she already is' he hissed at his father.

'I didn't come here to fight, Joey' Derek said as Joey busied himself with filling the kettle and getting the cups ready for drinks. 'I came to apologise…What's happened?' Derek frowned 'is it the baby?' Joey paused, holding a cup in mid-air briefly before setting down on the table. He leant on the side, his head bowed. 'Joey?'

Joey sighed 'she was cramping and bleeding' Joey told him 'so I took her to the hospital' he said 'we've been there for well over five hours while they ran tests. We had to wait over an hour to be seen and she was getting even more distressed as the minutes passed, and there was nothing I could do to comfort her, dad' Derek put his hand on Joey's back and rubbed gently. 'She was convinced she was losing this baby too. She still is'

'What did the doctors say?' Derek asked him.

'They said it was just normal at her stage of pregnancy…the ligaments stretching around the uterus, preparing for the next stage of pregnancy. The bleeding is a concern but they weren't overly worried about it, it wasn't very much. They said again it could be linked to the changes in her body and they seem to think it will stop completely in a day or two' Joey said 'it's not heavy bleeding…' he trailed off 'off course the doctors haven't allayed her worries in the slightest' he said 'she still thinks she's going to miscarry, and if she does it'll be my fault'

'No, Joey, of course it won't be' Derek soothed his son.

'Yes it will. We had a fight…she pulled away from me when I grabbed her and she fell into the drawers, I know she hit them pretty hard…' he said. Joey turned to look at his dad 'I'll never forgive myself if she loses the baby'

'Joey, hey, come on now' Derek said as he watched his usual stoic son, crumbling to pieces right in front of him 'come here' he pulled his son into his arms, hugging him tightly as he dissolved into tears 'sshh, it's okay' Derek whispered softly.

Derek could clearly remember the last time he'd seen his son cry. Joey was 9 years old. It was the day after his mother had left and Derek broke the news to both his children. He'd sat them both down on the sofa and told them their mummy had gone because she didn't love daddy anymore and she didn't want to live with him anymore so she'd left the night before after Joey and Alice had gone to bed. He told them she'd gone to find somewhere else to live, somewhere she could be happy again. Alice wasn't really old enough to understand what Derek was saying and was soon settled in front of the TV watching CBeebies.

Joey, however, had followed Derek into the kitchen, and as Derek discovered later he'd stood outside the door for a few moments and heard his daddy crying. He came into the room, standing in front of him with a quivering lip and a couple of tears on his cheeks. He shakily asked Derek if mummy had stopped loving them too, asking if they didn't make her happy anymore either. Derek had assured his son that his mummy loved him very much and it wasn't anything either Joey or Alice had done to make mummy leave. Surprising Derek, Joey had announced he was glad mummy was gone and that he hated her. He told Derek all the love he had for mummy now belonged to his daddy and the little boy had hugged Derek so hard and for so long. Derek found himself taking comfort from his son, and he broke down in tears once more crying as he held his son and Joey hadn't left his side. Maybe that was the reason Joey turned into the man he was. Joey was clinging to him now, in much the same way Derek had to the 9 year old version of Joey, as his heart broke. Joey suddenly stiffened in his arms and pulled away from him, wiping his tears away with his fingers.

'Sorry' he mumbled, clearly embarrassed by his emotional outburst.

'Its okay' Derek said softly 'It's what I'm here for' he licked his lips. 'So the baby's okay?'

Joey nodded his head 'according to the doctors' Joey said 'not according to Lauren'

'The doctor's know what they're talking about' Derek said 'if Lauren does what they tell them to do everything should be okay'

'I've told her that but with the stress of what happened last time she was pregnant and Jake still being missing, plus all the stress I'm putting on her trying to keep her safe…she says she feels like she's being held prisoner…she said she's spent 9 years of her life living in fear of him and all she wants to do was to put her old life behind her and concentrate on her future' Joey frowned 'I'm making her feel just like Jake did'

'I'm sure she didn't mean it that way' Derek said as the kettle boiled and clicked off. Joey sniffed and wiped his eyes and set about the task of making the drinks.

'I lost my temper with her because she snuck out of the flat when I was in the shower. She wouldn't tell me where she'd been…all she'd tell me was she had to run an errand'

'Ah…I think I can shed some light on her whereabouts and the errand' Derek told him 'She came to see me. She wanted to talk, to explain about the two of you' he told Joey. 'Look, I'm sorry about how I acted. What I said to you, I was out of line' he told Joey 'Hearing the way Lauren talks about you, seeing her face light up when she mentions your name…you really mean a lot to her, and you clearly think the world of her'

'I do, dad' Joey nodded his head 'I love her. I want to take care of her and our baby'

'And you will, you already are' Derek said 'and doing a pretty good job of it the way Lauren tells it. And I have to admit things are starting to fall into place now' he told him. 'I'm proud of you, Joey' Derek told him, his voice thick with tears.

'You…you are?' Joey looked at him in surprise.

'Yes' Derek nodded his head 'of you, of that young woman in there for somehow managing to tame your wild ways' Joey smiled nodding his head.

'She's done a lot more than that' he replied honestly.

'Give your old man a hug' Derek said, Joey moved back into his father's arms 'I'm sorry son' he murmured, squeezing him tightly.

'Thanks, dad. Me too' Joey said.

'I'm here for you, for Lauren for whatever you need okay?' Derek asked him.

'Thanks dad' Joey repeated.

The two men parted 'Go and see to Lauren, I'll finish off in here and bring the drinks through. Joey nodded and opened the door and went back to Lauren.

'Babe…what's wrong?' Joey said when he saw her in tears on the sofa 'are you having more cramps?'

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** Well the baby is okay, but Lauren's not convinced and Joey and Derek made up! Yay Lauren's talk did the world of good. And how cute was nine year old Joey? Next chapter will be up tomorrow….leave me a review.**


	129. Chapter 129

**Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Eight **

Lauren shook her head 'N..n..no' she hiccupped.

'Then what's wrong?' Joey asked her sitting beside her.

'I think I'm still bleeding' she told him.

'Yeah the doctor said you might for a little while longer didn't he, hey?' he took her hands in his 'and he wasn't worried about it was she? It's not bright red blood…' Lauren shrugged and Joey sighed, licking his lips 'do you want to go check?' she nodded her head 'come on then' he said rising to his feet and pulling her up. They walked through to the bathroom and went inside. Lauren looked up at him 'I'm not going anywhere' he told her firmly. She sighed and lowered her jogging bottoms and knickers and they both looked at the pad she was given at the hospital. Joey was relieved to see there was only a few spots of brownish coloured blood on the pad. 'See it's less than before' he told her. 'You need to try and stop worrying' he said softly as she redressed her lower half. 'You heard the baby's heartbeat when they did the ultrasound. You saw the pictures…the baby is fine…' he told her 'and is going nowhere until he or she is due to be born' Lauren nodded her head and moved into his arms. Joey smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. 'I promise' he whispered into her hair.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Over the next forty eight hours Lauren was the model patient, doing everything Joey told her to do. When she woke the next morning and went into the bathroom she was more than a little relieved to discover she hadn't bled anymore. She lifted her head and closed her eyes, whispering a quiet "thank you" to the powers that be. She used the toilet, before starting the shower.

Joey woke when he felt the bed dip as she sat down on it, towel drying her hair.

'Hey' he rubbed his eyes 'you're up early' his voice was thick with sleep.

'It's 11:30am' she said glancing over her shoulder at him.

'It is?' he raised his eyebrows at her in surprise.

'Mmmhmm. I guess we were both tired' Lauren said, resting the towel on her lap 'I don't know about you but I feel refreshed and relaxed and really, really hungry'

'Is that my cue to get up and cook you something?' he asked her.

'Actually I fancy cereal and toast' she said to him 'which I can fix for myself'

'Give me five minutes to have a quick shower and I'll come and eat with you'

'Okay' Lauren nodded her head.

Joey threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. Lauren watched as he walked naked to the bathroom, tilting her head to one side as she ogled his naked bum as it disappeared out of the room.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Later, they were both lying on the sofa, a blanket covering their lower halves as they watched some DVD's Alice had brought over for them. Lauren was lying in front of Joey and one of his arms was wrapped around her waist. They were both pleased Lauren had stopped bleeding and her cramping had also finally stopped. Joey's hand was splayed over her stomach and she smiled as she felt his thumb rubbing up and down gently.

'We should do something tonight, to celebrate' Joey said as the credits rolled on the film they'd been watching. 'Something low key'

'Like what?' Lauren asked him.

'Well, dad mentioned he was cooking roast lamb….'

'I love roast lamb' Lauren smile and shifted so she was lying on her back, making it easier to look at him.

'So you want to go?'

'Yes, it'll be good to spend some time outside of these four walls' she admitted to him.

'Then it's a good job I told dad to expect us at 7:00pm' Joey smiled, holding onto her as she rolled onto her side so she was facing him.

'Thank you' Lauren whispered softly.

'For what?' Joey frowned at her.

'For taking care of me' she whispered as her eyes fell to his lips. 'For putting up with me'

'Kitten, it's hardly a chore' Joey replied pulling her closer so he could kiss her 'and I was as worried as you were. You've no idea how much I'm looking forward to being a father' he stole another kiss 'and a husband' he whispered against her lips.

'What?' Lauren's eyes widened as she took in his last three words.

**AN: DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF….. **** Thanks for all your reviews. So it looks as though Lauren had followed doctors orders and the baby is okay… and what did joey just say? Leave me a review…as this is a short chapter there is another chapter up for grabs tonight…. You have until 9pm! GO! **


	130. Chapter 130

**Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Nine**

Lauren pulled away from him so she could see his face clearer, to see if he was being serious or not. 'What?' she repeated. 'Joey are you serious?' she asked him.

'Do you really think 'ld joke about something like that?' he asked her. 'I know you're still married to Jake and you might not be keen on the idea of getting married again…but I promise you, our marriage will be nothing like yours and Jake's he told her. 'I love you, and I want to marry you, raise our family properly…together' he said softly.

Lauren licked her lips and he waited anxiously for her reply 'well I guess I should start working on the divorce then' she told him with a smile.

Joey beamed at her 'yeah, you should' he nodded his head and stole a kiss.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

The roast dinner at Derek's was better than Lauren remembered. She smiled as Joey and Derek ushered her into the lounge refusing to let her help clear up. She sat down on the sofa with Alice who stared at her curiously.

'What's on your mind Al?' Lauren asked her.

'I was just wondering about you and Joey' she told her.

'Ah…me and Joey' Lauren nodded her head 'Ask me anything and I'll tell you the truth'

'Are you and Joey together?'

'Yes' Lauren nodded her head 'we are'

'Were you together while you were with Jake?'

'Yes' Lauren nodded again 'we were, but you have to understand Joey didn't break up my marriage…'

'He didn't?' she frowned at her friend 'because it kind of seems that way to me'

'It wasn't like that' Lauren told her 'my marriage with Jake wasn't a happy one…he was controlling and abusive and I hated him, still do' she explained to her 'I know hate is a pretty strong word to use but I did hate him. I do hate him' she frowned and looked down 'I never loved Jake, I may have tried to convince myself that I did but I now know I didn't. I love Joey'

'You love him?' Alice exclaimed wide eyed. Lauren smiled and nodded 'and does he love you?'

'Yes, he does' Joey said coming into the room and hearing the end of their conversation. Alice shifted on the sofa to look at him as he came into the room and he picked Lauren up off the sofa and sat down, placing her on his lap, much to Alice's surprise. Lauren giggled and Joey stole a kiss. 'Anything else you want to know Little Miss Nosey?' Joey asked his sister with a smile.

'How long?'

'Since January but we broke up in September' Joey told her 'We're back together now though' Joey told her.

'And Jake didn't know?' Alice frowned at the both.

'Nope, no one knew' Joey told her 'it's called discretion'

'No, it's called sneaking around and cheating' Alice snapped at him. Lauren paled and looked down, feeling her eyes fill with tears.

'You don't know what you're talking about, Alice' Joey raised his voice and glared at her, whilst his hand rubbed Lauren's back gently 'it wasn't like that'

'Alice, why don't you come and give me a hand with the coffee?' Derek appeared at the doorway having heard Joey shout at her. Alice reluctantly got up and went with her dad.

'I'm sorry about Al' Joey told her 'I'll talk to her, explain things to her'

'Don't be too angry with her' Lauren said softly 'she's had a rough time' she looked up at Joey.

'What do you mean?' Joey frowned confused.

'It's kind of complicated. I'll explain when we get home' she promised him. 'And _I'll_ talk to Alice…'

'I don't want you getting upset, it's not good for you or the baby' he told her as Derek and Alice returned.

'You're pregnant?!' Alice exclaimed, putting the tray she was carrying down on the table.

'Yes she's pregnant, and yes, it's mine and yes I'm over the moon about it' Joey told him with a warning tone in his voice. 'I love Lauren and I want to marry her' he said.

'You're getting married?' Alice dropped down into the chair.

'Yes…one day…soon hopefully' Joey said.

'There's just the small matter of the divorce and the fact that he hasn't actually asked me yet, not properly' Lauren added, glancing at Joey 'we've talked about it…I want to spend the rest of my life with Joey. I want to be with a man who loves me, who won't control me or hurt me emotionally or beat me on a regular basis because he feels like it' she told her.

'Jake beat you?' Alice paled.

'Yes' Lauren nodded her head. 'And I really don't want to go into all the details…' she trailed off. 'I know how much you love Joey, both of you…' she said glancing at Derek '…and I promise I'm not going to hurt him. And yes, I know I cheated on my husband, but I won't cheat on Joey…ever' she shook her head 'I'll never leave him' she stated, 'or walk out on our children' she added in a whisper.

'Children?' Derek's ear pricked up 'is there something you're not telling us?'

Lauren blushed 'No, there's only one baby on the way' she told him, 'I just meant…' she trailed off blushing even redder, burying her face in Joey's neck.

'I know what you meant, babe' Joey whispered quietly, kissing the side of her face.

Alice blinked as she watched them both, watching how gentle and tender Joey was being with Lauren. She smiled. 'Oh! I'm going to be an auntie' she said suddenly. 'Oh! And you're going to be a granddad' she looked up at her father.

Derek's grin was ear to ear 'yes, I am. Finally' he said pointedly to Joey 'I was beginning to think they'd be no little Branning's running around the place'

Lauren giggled 'see, told you' she whispered and Joey smiled and then laughed.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

'Do you think everyone is going to react like that when they find out about us?' Lauren asked Joey as they walked back towards the flat hand in hand.

'Maybe, I don't know' Joey said. 'Alice came round in the end though' he told her

'Yeah, I know. But I meant the way she reacted at first, just like everyone else we've told about us so far has done' she frowned, chewing on her bottom lip.

'So you don't want to tell people?' he asked her as they walked up the stairs to the door.

'No' she shook her head 'I don't want to tell people' she glanced around the square. 'I don't want to face the endless questions, the blame and scorn' she looked up at him. 'Can we avoid telling people for a while?'

'Yes, of course. I'm pretty fed up with people yelling at me' he told her 'but we can't put it off forever and in a few months this little one is going to make things hard to avoid' he said turning round to face her and pressing his hand against her flat stomach 'and then I think I'm going to be wanting to shout it from the rooftops' he told her, Lauren smiled at him, placing her hand on top of his.

'We should get inside' she said softly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren shrugged off her coat and sat down on the sofa, looking up at Joey. 'Promise me that after you've heard what I'm going to tell you, you won't freak out or go mental'

'I don't like the sound of this' he said taking a seat beside her. He closed his eyes taking a deep breath before nodding his head. 'Okay, I promise' he told her, opening his eyes to look at her.

'Alice found your mother' Lauren said.

'She did WHAT!?' Joey exploded 'I TOLD HER NOT TO!' he frowned.

'Calm down, Joey' Lauren frowned back at him. 'It didn't go well and Alice was devastated' she continued. 'She cried for hours, I thought I was going to drown at one point' she said trying to lighten Joey's mood a little.

'What happened?' Joey asked, his voice softening.

'She told Alice she didn't want anything to do with her. She told Alice she had a new life now, a new family and she didn't want them to be tainted by her past mistakes' Lauren said carefully 'Your mother told Alice she didn't want to see her again, she didn't want to see you or know what was going on in either of your lives' Lauren told him gently.

'She…she has a new family?' Joey asked her quietly.

'Yes' Lauren nodded her head 'She has three kids, two girls and a boy' Joey nodded his head.

'Is Alice still upset about it?' he looked at Lauren.

'Yes, course she is' Lauren nodded her head 'she wanted to talk to you about it but she was scared you'd yell at her and tell her "I told you so" and she doesn't really need to hear that' Lauren said 'she could use her big brother to talk to' Lauren told him giving him a nudge with her shoulder. Joey nodded his head.

'I'll talk to her' he said softly.

'Be nice to her' Lauren asked him 'for me?'

Joey looked at her and smiled 'I will, I promise'

'Are you okay?' Lauren looked at him with a worried expression.

'Yes I'm fine. I buried any feelings I had for that woman a long time ago. She can rot in Hell for all I care' he told her. 'Will you be okay here by yourself for a little while?' he asked her getting up and grabbing his coat.

'Yes' she nodded her head 'I'll deadlock the door and won't leave the flat' she promised him. She got up and crossed over to him. 'I love you' she whispered.

'I love you too, kitten' Joey stroked her cheek gently and gave her a quick kiss before heading out o the door. He smiled as he heard the deadbolt slide into place behind him.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews **** Well Alice found out about Joey and Lauren and the baby and Lauren's abuse at the end of Jake in one evening and Joey found out about Alice finding their mother… leave me a review back tomorrow xx **


	131. Chapter 131

**Chapter One Hundred and Thirty**

Tanya sat in the Vic nursing a gin and tonic, her phone sitting on the table in front of her. She wanted to call Lauren, she wanted to go over and see her and make sure things between them were okay. She picked up the phone and scrolled through the numbers before putting it back down on the table with a frown.

'A watched phone never rings' Max told her as he sat down with a scotch.

'Hello' she said with a smile 'I'm not expecting a call, I was thinking about calling Lauren' Tanya told him 'See if she's okay, if she needs anything'

'Are you still worried about her relationship with Joey?' Max asked her.

'Maybe' she nodded her head.

'I'd like to say you have nothing to worry about, but Joey's never been the girlfriend type' Max told her.

'That's made me feel so much better, thanks Max' Tanya picked up her glass and took a long drink.

'What I can tell you though, is that I've never seen Joey act the way he does when he's with Lauren, or look at anyone the way he looks at Lauren' Max told her 'If he says he loves her then I have no reason to doubt he's telling the truth' Tanya smiled at him.

'Well now I feel a little better' she said softly.

'Listen I was thinking about getting a takeaway? Curry or a Chinese if you fancy it' Max asked her casually.

'Yeah? That sounds nice' she nodded her head.

''Great' Max grinned at her 'I'll go get the takeaway. I'll meet you at mine in twenty minutes?'

'How about I come with you?' Tanya suggested 'we could get a bottle of wine on the way?'

'Sounds like a plan' Max said, picking up his glass and draining it.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey and Alice sat in the kitchen, both of them holding a cup of coffee in their hands. Alice looked at her brother worriedly. She'd been surprised to see him come back to the house so soon after he and Lauren had left. He'd told her he wanted to talk to her about something important and it couldn't wait. Part of her was worried it was going to have to do with the way she'd been with Lauren when she'd found out about them early that night. She couldn't think of anything else he would want to talk to her about.

He licked his lips and looked up at her 'Lauren told me you found mum' he said. Alice blinked and he watched the colour drain from her face.

'She promised she wasn't going to tell anyone' Alice said to him, looking down.

'She only told me because she was worried about you' Joey insisted. 'You should have told me'

'Why so you could tell me a big fat "I told you so!?" Alice frowned, looking up at her brother.

'So I could have been there for you' he replied. 'Al, you were so small when mum left. You barely remember her' he told her.

'I know, I just ….I wanted to meet her, spend time with her'

'I know you did' he nodded his head 'look, the only reason I didn't want to help you find her, was because I didn't want you to end up getting hurt, like you are now' he told her sincerely.

'She wasn't interested, Joey' Alice told him 'in me, or you' tears filled her eyes.

'Then it's her loss' Joey said to him. 'We've come this far without a mum, dad's done a pretty good job of raising us himself hasn't he?' he asked her. Alice nodded her head. 'She wasn't much of a mother anyway' Joey said 'all she used to do as nag dad for working hard and bringing home the money, for providing for his family' he looked at her. 'I'm sorry you got hurt though, Al' he told her.

'I should've listened to you' Alice admitted to him 'talking things through with Lauren helped though. I mean she never knew her father so we kind of can relate to each other' she told him. 'She's been a good friend'

'Good, I'm glad' Joey told her. 'Listen, I don't want you to think that you can never talk to me about things, I may have a hot temper sometimes, but you're still my little sister and I love you'

Alice smiled at him 'I love you too, Joey' she told him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

The next morning Lauren and Joey had breakfast at the café and were heading home when they saw Tanya sneaking out of Max's house. The two of them stared 'Looks like Uncle Max got his end away last night' Joey grinned.

'Hey!' Lauren said slapping his arm playfully 'that's my mother you're making jokes about!' she turned to look at him. 'I can't believe she's doing the walk of shame' she frowned.

'You've done it often enough' he teased her.

'She barely knows him' Lauren said turning to watch her mother as she walked across the square towards the B&amp;B.

'She knows him a lot better now' Joey giggled.

'Joey!' Lauren exclaimed again and he received another slap.

'Ow, hey. I bruise easy' he said,

'Me too' she replied dryly.

Joey glared at her 'that's not funny' he shook his head and started to walk away from her.

'Joey, I'm sorry' she ran after him, catching him up and slipping her arm through his, 'I was just joking around'

'You can't joke about that' he said, coming to a standstill and turning to face her, there were still faint bruises on her face and he brushed them lightly with his fingertips.

'I know, I'm sorry' she told him softly.

'Come on, let's get back home, someone has a divorce to file' he said with a smile.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Sharon looked up as she heard someone coming down the stairs of the club, she was surprised to see Joey. 'Hi' he said sheepishly.

'You were supposed to start working three days ago' she glared at him

'I know, I'm sorry. I would've been but Lauren had a scare with the baby' he saw Sharon's face fill with concern 'but the hospital says they're both fine, but with Jake getting bail, I didn't want to leave her'

'Jake got bail?' Sharon asked him surprised.

'Yeah, his father paid for a top brief for him, he's fighting against the statement Lauren gave, as well as the evidence the Police collected' Joey explained.

'Jake hasn't been back to the square has he?' Sharon asked him, worrying about Lauren.

'No, he was bailed back to his parents and was supposed to return to the station every day'

'Supposed to?' she frowned.

'Yeah, he's disappeared' Joey told her 'his parents claim they don't know where he is and the Police haven't got a clue either'

'How's Lauren taking it?' Sharon asked him.

'Surprisingly well' Joey told her with a frown 'I'm more worried about it than she is'

'Where is she now?' Sharon asked as she moved behind the bar and helped herself to a shot of vodka.

'Back at the flat' Joey said 'filling in divorce papers' he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.

'You're happy about that I see' Sharon said as she walked back to the other side of the bar and sat down.

'You have no idea' Joey told her, 'I wanted to ask you for a favour'

Sharon rolled her eyes 'yes I will talk to Jack for you'

'It's not about Jack. I can handle Uncle Jack…I need your help with something in particular, I need to buy something for Lauren…for me'

'Now I'm intrigued' Sharon said leaning forward. Joey spent the next couple of minutes explaining to Sharon what he wanted and she smiled at him, nodding her head 'I'll be happy to help' she told him.

'Yeah?' Sharon saw the relief on Joey's face, 'great' he gave her a kiss in her cheek. 'I'll let you know when' he told her.

'Alright' she laughed at his excitement.

'I'd better get back to Lauren, I'm supposed to be getting her some chocolate' he said with a smile 'you won't tell anyone? I want to surprise Lauren'

'You're secret's safe with me' Sharon said as Jack came in.

'Thanks again' Joey said, giving her another kiss and a hug.

'Oh Joey…' Sharon called after him as he headed for the stairs 'Can you start back tomorrow?'

'Sure' he nodded his head.

'You've given him his job back?' Jack asked her surprised.

'Yep, and Lauren' she smiled as Jack gave her a kiss.

'I thought you were adamant you weren't going to' Jack took a seat beside her at the bar.

'I have a feeling that this will be the last time Joey loses me another member of female bar staff, I think things are serious between the two of them. More serious than we thought' she smiled.

'What do you mean?' Jack frowned at her.

'I think he's planning to propose' Sharon explained 'but you can't say anything he doesn't want Lauren to find out'

'Propose?' Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise. 'And the surprises keep on coming'

Sharon smiled 'Don't be too hard on him Jack' Sharon said softly. 'I happen to know he hates fighting with you as much as you do with him…talk to him, hey, clear the air?'

'Maybe I will' Jack nodded his head.

**AN: Thanks for your review. I am so glad you are all enjoying TBB. So what has Joey asked Sharon to do and will Jack bury the hatchet with his nephew? And Tanya and Max have spent the night together! Anyone see that coming? Next chapter will be up tomorrow. Leave me a review xx **


	132. Chapter 132

**Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-One**

Jack walked into the Vic at 7pm. He brought a beer and looked around for somewhere to sit, seeing Lauren and Joey sitting at a table in the corner. He walked up to the table 'Mind if I join you?' he asked them both.

Lauren swallowed and looked at Joey, waiting for his answer. 'Sure' Joey nodded his head.

'So…Sharon tells me you're both going back on the rota at the club?' he said

'Yeah, do you have a problem with that?'

'Joey!' Lauren hissed at him with a frown.

'It's okay, Lauren' Jack shook his head with a smile 'I don't have a problem with you being back at the club, the place isn't the same without the two of you there' he admitted 'Plus I miss having my wife around since she's currently covering your shifts' he told them.

'I might've known there'd be something in it for you' Joey frowned at him.

'Hey come on I'm being nice here' Jack said raising his hands, 'maybe I should've come over waving a white flag or something. I didn't come here to fight' he told his nephew.

'Well I guess there's a first time for everything' Joey said taking a sip of his beer.

Jack rolled his eyes 'I hope you know what you're letting yourself in for with this one' Jack said to Lauren good-naturedly 'he's a bit of a drama queen'

'I hadn't noticed' Lauren said straight faced.

'Ha ha, very funny. You two are going to gang up on me now are you?' Joey shook his head with a small smile 'great'

'How come you're drinking alone?' Lauren asked him.

'I'm supposed to be meeting Max, but he's not answering his phone' Jack said with a frown

'He's probably too busy with his new girlfriend' Joey said with a big grin at Lauren.

'She isn't his girlfriend' Lauren glared at him.

'Oh, what's this?' Jack said sitting forward in his seat 'Has my big brother finally got himself a woman? Must be something in the water, hey?' he nudged Joey. 'I hope she's a looker…remember the last one?' Jack looked at Joey and pulled a face 'she looked like a camel' Joey choked on his beer. Or the one before that, the one who dressed like a prostitute! Do you remember her, Joey?'

Joey's shrugged as his face flushed, Lauren narrowed her eyes at him 'you slept with your uncle's girlfriend?' she exclaimed.

'No…I sleep with you. Girls before you were just…sex'

'You had sex with Max's girlfriend?' Jack blinked at him in surprise.

'It just kind of happened' he told them both.

'You are such a whore!' Lauren frowned at him 'I'm amazed you haven't had syphilis or some other disease that made your parts go green and drop off' she got up and walked through to the bathroom, leaving both men behind wondering what to make out that last outburst.

'Uh-oh…looks like you are in trouble' Jack looked at Joey sympathetically.

'She's just been in a funny mood since we saw Tanya leaving Uncle Max's this morning'

Jack's eyes widened 'Tanya?' Joey nodded his head.

'He didn't waste his time, did he?' Jack said 'so I've been stood up again?' he sighed 'microwave meal for one, sitting in front of the TV'

'Or you could go and keep your wife company at the club' Joey suggested 'I'm sure she'd like the company'

'Are you trying to get rid of me?' Jack narrowed his eyes at Joey.

'You did gatecrash our celebrations' Joey nodded his head, glancing towards the bathroom door looking for Lauren.

'Low key celebrations by the looks of it, a vodka and coke and packet of peanuts…you're really pushing the boat out…how the Hell did you get Lauren to fall for you again?' he teased his nephew 'what are you celebrating anyway?' Jack looked at him expectantly.

'Lauren filed for divorce today' Joey said with a smile. 'Hence the mini celebration' he explained 'we'll be celebrating a little louder later tonight' he smirked at his Uncle and Jack let out a loud bark of laughter. Lauren came back to the table and Joey looked at her with concern 'everything okay?'

'Mmhmm' she said with a smile. She finished her drink 'so are you ready to go home?' she asked him.

'Absolutely' he nodded his head, standing up and leaving his beer 'night Jack' Joey said 'enjoy the microwave meal for one' he clapped his Uncle on the shoulder.

Jack nodded his head 'yeah, yeah, thanks a lot' he mumbled at the two of them left the Vic.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jack followed them out of the pub a few moments later and he smiled as he saw Joey's hand brushed against Lauren's as they walked back towards the flat. Joey certainly had been with more than his fair share of women, including one of Max's old girlfriends, but it was clear there was only one woman for him now.. Jack chuckled as he imagined Max's reaction if he ever found out that little snippet of news. But now Joey had finally chosen to settle down and he knew Lauren had changed Joey, made him a better person. No, he frowned, Joey was already a good person, he just had really loose morals…she brought out the man he always knew Joey could be. She was good for him, and he was clearly good for her. He hadn't seen her that relaxed for a while and he'd never seen Joey so happy. He'd be there for them both, give them anything they needed.

He walked along the middle of the road and up the stairs to Max's house. He knocked on the door and waited. Max opened the door, Jack could see he'd woken him up from a nap 'Jack, what are you doing here?' Max asked with a frown.

'You stood me up'

'What?' Max looked at his watch 'Oh…'

'You alone?' Jack asked him.

'Yeah, of course I am' Max nodded his head 'you'd better come in then'

'Yeah. I think you and I need to have a little talk don't you?' Jack said stepping into the house. Max frowned in confusion as he closed the door. 'Scotch?' Jack called out

'Please'

**AN: Thanks for your reviews **** So we get a little bit more of an insight into Joey's behaviour pre Lauren. Having sex with his uncles girlfriends! Jack and Joey have made amends and he can see how happy the two of them make each other. And what is he up to going over to Max's? Next chapter up tomorrow. Leave me a review. Xx **


	133. Chapter 133

**One Hundred and Thirty-Two**

The two brothers had been sitting in silence sipping scotch for a good fifteen minutes. 'I thought you wanted to talk?' Max said to his brother.

'That's right I did' Jack nodded his head. He got up and poured himself another generous amount of scotch before retaking his seat on the chair. 'You know I think Derek should be here for this too' Jack said, pulling his phone out of his jacket pocket and dialing a number. 'Hi. No, everything's fine. You need to come over to Max's' Jack told him 'he's got the scotch…new bottle…yep, all right see you in five' Jack hung up, looking up at Max and grinning at him. 'He's on his way'

'I heard. So what is this all about, hey Jack?' he asked his younger brother.

'Patience Maxwell…patience' Jack smiled as he raised the glass to his lips. Max rolled his eyes and got up and refilled his glass and getting another one out for Derek for when he arrived. He took a sip and swallowed it, moving back to the sofa. A few minutes later they heard someone knock on the door and then it opened and closed and Derek appeared in the doorway. Jack smiled at him raising his glass, Derek walked to the table and poured himself a very generous amount of scotch.

'Oh…come in' Max muttered 'and feel free to help yourself to my scotch'

'Thank you very much Maxwell' Derek smiled. 'Don't mind if I do'

'Excuse us for a minute' Jack said standing up and putting his arm around Derek and leading him into the kitchen.

'This is just like when we were kids, you two always having secrets and going off, whispering in corners about them' Max said despondently. 'I hated it then, and not surprisingly I hate it now' he raised his glass to his lips and took a drink. 'Especially when you're doing it in my house' he muttered.

His younger and eldest brother turned to look at him before sharing a secretive smile and joining him on the sofa, he frowned as they sat either side of him.

'We hear you have something you want to tell us' Jack said.

'Don't know where you heard that from' Max said with a casual shrug.

'Come on Maxy, we're family. You now you can tell us anything' Derek said.

'Why would I tell you two anything? And don't call me Maxy. You two are the biggest gossips on the square. You knock spots off Dot!' Max replied. He tried to get up but each of his brothers grabbed one of his shoulders and pulled him back into place between them.

'Don't be that way' Derek told him 'we just want to give you some brotherly advice'

'I don't need any advice…but thanks' Max replied.

Jack sighed 'you know sooner or later you're going to have to tell us, so why not make it sooner…'

'There's nothing to tell you' Max shrugged again. 'I don't know where you've got the idea from that there was'

'Joey' Jack said.

'Joey?' Max frowned at him.

'And Lauren'

'Joey and Lauren?' Max asked him 'and they told you what, exactly?'

'They saw a certain someone doing…' Derek frowned and looked at Jack 'what do the kids call it?'

Jack pretended to think for a minutes 'walk of shame' he said.

'Ah! Yes! That's right, they saw a certain someone doing the walk of shame this morning' Derek told his brother.

'Walk of shame?' Max looked confused 'I have no idea what you're talking about' Max told them, getting up off the sofa before either of them could stop him.

Derek and Jack exchanged glances 'Oh…okay, maybe we should just go, ask her…' Jack said to Derek

'Yeah I think that's probably the best idea, since little Maxy here's not going to tell us anything' Derek nodded his head in agreement.

'I think we should go and pay her a visit' Jack said standing up 'thanks for the drink Max'

Max sighed and turned to look at his brothers 'all right fine. I had dinner with Tanya last night, takeaway and a bottle of wine' he said to them.

'And she spent the night?' Derek asked him.

'No…'

'So Joey and Lauren didn't see her sneaking out of the house this morning?' Jack asked him.

'Maybe…look it's none of your business' he declared angrily.

'Joey gets the daughter and you get the mother' Jack grinned at him 'wait…if Lauren and Joey get married and you and Tanya get married you'd be her step-father and uncle…you'd be Joey's father-in-law and uncle and Lauren and Joey would be cousins and brother and step-sister? And Tanya would be Lauren's mother and aunt'

'And if Lauren and Joey get married, you'd be his father in law too' Derek added.

'Joey isn't my son he's Derek's' Max said putting his hands on his hips 'and no one is getting married. It was one date'

'A sleepover date' Jack teased him. 'Are you seeing her again?'

'I don't know' Max shrugged 'maybe…' he tried to sound casual.

'Yeah?' Derek beamed at him 'good for you. She's a nice woman'

'Too good for the likes of you' Jack teased him, as someone knocked on the door.

'Okay you two can go now' Max said as he walked to the front door and opened it, the brother's followed him and saw Tanya standing on the doorstep. 'Thanks for stopping by and drinking all my scotch…go away now, please'

'Tanya, fancy seeing you here' Jack said with a grin 'aren't you going to invite her in Maxwell?'

'Yes, thank you' Max glared at his brothers as they left the house.

Tanya frowned at Max. 'What was that all about?' she asked him as Max closed the door.

'Apparently, Lauren and Joey saw you sneaking out this morning' he explained to her and they've obviously been talking to Jack about it who then called my brother over here to wind me about it'

'What did Lauren say?' Tanya asked him anxiously, 'was she angry?'

'I don't know they didn't say' Max said to her. He reached out and squeezed her arm lightly 'I'm sure she'll be fine with it' he told her softly. 'It's not like we're doing anything wrong is it, hey? We're both consenting adults. We're both single' he licked his lips 'we're entitled to a love life of our own aren't we?'

Tanya smiled at Max and nodded her head 'yes, yes we are' she told him as she turned to the door. She flicked the latch and then took his hand and led him up the stairs.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jack and Derek cheered outside on the pavement, as Max's bedroom light shone through the curtains, and then fell into a fit of laughter.

'Come on I'll buy you a beer' Derek said 'I need to talk to you about something'

'You're on' Jack nodded his head.

**AN: Thank you for your reviews **** Jack and Derek have enjoyed teasing their brother over his love life…and then Tanya arrives. Two dates in so many nights hey! Leave me a review back tomorrow xx**


	134. Chapter 134

**Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Three**

Jack woke up and rolled over in bed with a groan. His head was pounding so hard. He had the mother of all headaches. From the kitchen, Sharon heard him move into the bathroom and then return to the bedroom. She poured a coffee and picked up the bottle of aspirin and took them through to the bedroom, placing the items on the bedside table. She sat down on the bed with a sympathetic smile.

'When are you going to learn, hey?' Sharon said 'you're not a young man anymore' she said 'you can't go out drinking all night and expect not to have the hangover from Hell when you wake up' she told him.

'I know' Jack nodded his head and groaned, regretted the movement instantly.

'There's some coffee here and some painkillers' Sharon told him 'I have to go and sort out a delivery and then I'll be back around 11:00am, okay?' she asked him.

'Okay, thank you' Jack said as he lay back down in the bed. Sharon kissed his forehead before getting up and leaving him in peace.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

'Angel, do you have to make so much noise?' Derek groaned from the kitchen table 'I've got a migraine'

'Migraine my eye!' Alice frowned at him 'you have a hangover' she stated as she put his coffee cup down with a thud on the table in front of him. 'I can smell the whiskey on your breath' she told him with a frown. 'Honestly I would've thought you would've known better by now…you're supposed to be setting me an example' she told him 'not going out and getting off your face'

'Angel, don't shout' Derek whispered, cradling his head with his hands.

'I'm not shouting, this is my normal everyday talking voice' she told him shaking her head. 'I don't know what you and Jack thought you were doing? You should try acting your age, dad!' she scolded him. 'I'm going to work' she said walking out of the kitchen.

'Don't slam the door, Alice' Derek called after her, even the slightly raised tone of his own voice made his head pound painfully. Derek winced as she slammed the front door 'thank you' he muttered, he picked up his coffee and carried it back up to his bedroom.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

She woke to the feeling of lips on her naked shoulder. Lips that slowly moved up to her throat. She smiled and wriggled back against the firm body behind her.

'Mmmmm…morning' she whispered softly.

'Morning' he replied as she turned her head to look at him. He gave her a soft kiss. 'Did you sleep okay?' he asked her, propping his head on hand as he laid in his side. She turned over in the bed and nodded her head.

'Yes, I did' she said with a soft blush. Fingers traced her cheek lightly 'what time is it?'

'9:00am' he replied. 'You hungry?'

'Starved' she nodded her head.

'How about breakfast in bed?' he suggested following the movement of his fingers as they ran down her arm.

'Sounds perfect' she replied nodding her head 'what are we having?'

'How does toast, bacon and scrambled eggs sound? With coffee and orange juice?'

'It sounds delicious' she smiled reaching forward to kiss him, her hand cupped his jaw and she could feel the morning stubble beneath her fingertips.

'Okay…I'll be right back' he smiled at her. He moved away from her and climbed out of bed naked, she spent a few seconds admiring his naked rear before he pulled on his robe and disappeared. Ten minutes later he reappeared with a tray in his hands. She sat up in the bed pulling the sheet up to cover her chest. He put the tray over her lap, hung the robe he'd been wearing on the back of the door and got back into bed. 'Eat up' he told her. She picked up one of the forks and speared some eggs onto it and put it into her mouth.

'Mmm…this is so good' she said with a smile 'the eggs melt in your mouth'

'Old Branning family recipe' he told her with a smile.

'I like a man who can cook' she said taking some more eggs.

'I am as good in the kitchen as I am in the bedroom' he grinned at her 'that also runs in the family' he said with a teasing glint in his eyes, as he started to eat too. 'Do you have to be anywhere today?'

'No' she shook her head. 'Why?'

'Well, perks of being your own boss means I'm owed a lot of holiday…we could spend the day together?'

'I'd really like that Max' Tanya said nodding her head.

'Good' Max smiled back at her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Jake ripped open the large brown package he'd just collected. Inside was a wad of money, a couple of thousand pounds if he wasn't mistaken, as well as a fake id. His solicitor has really excelled himself this time, he thought to himself with a smile. In the bottom of the package was the thing he was really after. He took it out and held it in his hand, gauging the weight of it. Turning it over in his head he saw the serial number had been filed off like he requested, making it essentially untraceable. Gun crime was rife in the East End. A random shooting hit the headlines every other day and this one wouldn't be any different. He already had his alibi sorted, thanks once again to his solicitor, he was really earning his money this time. Lauren was going to be sorry she ever cheated on him, sorry she went to the Police. And Joey was going to be sorry he betrayed him. Jake was going to make sure of that.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey woke up and reached for Lauren, his eyes opening as he discovered her side of the bed was empty. He frowned and climbed out of the bed, checking the bathroom before he went in search of her. He found her asleep on the sofa. Joey crouched down in front of her. He watched her for a little while and then stroked her cheek gently. Her eyes fluttered open and for a fraction of a second he saw fear in them before they were filled with warmth.

'Baby, what are you doing out here?' he asked her softly.

'I had a bad dream' she told him 'I didn't want to wake you so I came out here'

'You had a bad dream?' he frowned at her as she sat up 'what about?' he sat down beside her.

'That this was all I dream…you…us. I dreamt I woke up and Jake had me hostage in a warehouse, tied to a hospital bed' she frowned as she remembered.

'Jake is never going to hurt you again' Joey told her firmly 'I'm not going to let him'

She smiled and nodded her head 'I know'

'And next time you have a bad dream you wake me up, okay?' he asked her 'whatever time it is. In the meantime no more late night TV for you, especially crime dramas' he said tapping her nose with his forefinger.

'That's probably for the best' she said a little sheepishly.

'Mmm' Joey gave her a knowing look. 'Are you still tired?' he asked her.

'A little' she nodded her head.

'Okay, then back to bed you go' he said sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her back through to the bedroom. He lay her in the bed and got in next to her, gathering her close to him, her eyes fluttered shut before opening again to look into his.

'I love you, Joey. You know that right?'

'I do and I love you too, kitten' she smiled, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose 'get some sleep. We have our first shift back at work tonight'

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well Jake has reared his ugly head again wonder what he is planning to do? Leave me a review back tomorrow. **


	135. Chapter 135

**Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Four**

A week later, Jake was fuming over the latest delivery from his solicitor. Divorce papers from Lauren. She'd actually gone ahead and done it. The bitch must've got some more money from somewhere, probably his so called friend Joey Branning. He was going to have to up his game. There was no way he was going to let that bitch have half of anything. She was going to get nothing. She was going to be left with less than nothing. She deserved it for making a fool out of him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren sighed for the third time as she waited in the doctor's reception area for her appointment with the midwife. She needed to be go the bathroom really badly and wasn't sure how much longer she could wait before she was going to have an accident. The midwife was running more than 45 minutes late and so was Joey. She sighed again and got up and walked to the reception desk.

'I'm sorry but how much longer am I going to have to wait? I really have to go to the bathroom' she said. 'I'm not sure I can hold it in much longer'

'I'm really sorry' the pretty blonde receptionist smiled at her sympathetically 'If you like I can reschedule the appointment for you?'

'Please' Lauren nodded 'my boyfriend couldn't be here either' she said gratefully 'may I go to the bathroom first though?' she asked her.

'Of course' the receptionist smiled at her. Lauren darted to the bathroom. Five minutes later she returned to the receptionist, who handed her a small appointment card. 'If this date and time are not good for you or your boyfriend then give us a call and we can change it for you' she told Lauren.

'I'm sure this will be fine' she smiled 'thank you.' Lauren pulled out of her phone and called Joey as she headed out of the doctors.

'Hey babe, I'm so sorry I'm late. I'm about to leave the club now, I'll be there in 20 minutes' Joey said as soon as he answered her call.

'It's okay, that's why I'm calling, to tell you not to come. I still haven't been in to see the midwife and I needed to pee so badly, I couldn't hold it in any longer I had to go. So they've made me another appointment. So I'm coming home' she told him 'there's a bus stop just round the corner and I think there's one due in five minutes so I'll see you soon' she told him.

'Are you sure? I can come and pick you up?' he said to her.

'Yes, Joey. By the time you get here I could be five minutes from home' she told him. 'I'll be fine I promise' she said with a smile.

'Okay, I'll meet you back at the flat, have lunch ready for you'

'Great, I'm starved' she smiled 'I love you…bye'

'Love you too' Joey replied. Lauren hung up and raised her head and headed to the bus stop.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey was worried. Lauren was late, only by fifteen minutes, which could've just meant the bus was late but Joey was worried. He knew Jake was still missing and that he could be anywhere. When he raised his concerns to Jack earlier in the week, he'd told him Jake would be stupid to come back to the square. Everyone knew his face and everyone now knew what he'd done to Lauren. How she'd lived in fear of him for years. If he so much as stepped foot on the square, one of the locals would call 999 and the Police would be here in a matter of minutes. Jake wouldn't take the risk. He'd also told Joey he had to give Lauren some space, let her go out…otherwise he'd be doing the same as Jake, holding her captive and that wasn't going to be healthy for their relationship. This was how Lauren ended up going to the doctor's alone. Joey had promised to meet her there but the delivery was late then it had some items missing and he had to sort it out before he met her. He glanced at the clock on the microwave, another five minutes had passed. She would've called him if the bus was running late. He had a bad feeling. He grabbed his keys and phone, in case she called, and left the flat. Just as he made it down the steps, he saw Derek and Lauren walking towards him.

'Look who I bumped into' Derek said with a smile, giving her a squeeze. I saw her at the bus stop and I gave her a lift home. I had to stop off on the way and then we got stuck in traffic, the traffic lights are out on Hampton Heath' he told Joey.

'I was beginning to get worried' Joey told them both.

'Sorry, my battery died' Lauren told him with a small smile 'is lunch ready? I'm starved'

'Yes. It is' Joey nodded his head 'dad, do you want to join us?'

'I would but I'm meeting your Uncle Jack in the pub, so another time?'

'Sure' Joey nodded, he put his arm around Lauren's shoulders and led her up the stairs. 'You got another appointment then?' he asked her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Later that night, after they had gone to bed, Lauren lay awake replaying the events after she'd called Joey over and over in her head.

She'd walked towards the bus stop. There was no one else sitting there so she sat down on the plastic seating, checking her watch for the time. The bus should be here any minute. She pulled out the leaflets she'd picked up from the doctor's surgery on expectant mothers and started to read them. She was aware of someone sitting down next to her, close to her. Too close to her and she shifted slightly, wondering why some people thought it was okay to sit so close to a stranger that they actually touched them. The stranger moved too and she felt something being pressed against her side. She frowned and raised her head, an angry retort dying on her lips when she saw who the stranger was.

'Hello, Lauren' Jake said with a smile. 'What you can feel pressing into your side is a gun, and yes before you ask it is loaded so if you make a sound or look uncomfortable it might accidentally go off'

'What do you want Jake?' she asked him, her voice giving away her fear.

'I thought you and I should have a little chat, don't you?' he asked her 'You should learn to keep your mouth shut like Lucy did. So I want you to go to the Police station and withdraw your statement' he told her.

'What's Lucy got to do with anything?' she asked him.

'Why don't you ask Joey I'm sure he'll be more than happy to fill you in on the details' Jake said to her.

'Joey?' she frowned, Jake jabbed the gun against her side and she jumped with a sudden jolt of pain.

'I got your divorce papers' he told her 'you cited adultery and unreasonable behaviour' he said.

'I know what I wrote' she snapped at him. He jabbed her again with the gun.

'Hey, be nice to me…I'm the one with the gun remember?' he reminded her. Lauren looked around to see if there was anyone around, maybe she could try and attract their attention. An elderly man was walking towards her 'I know what you're thinking. I can shoot him and you before he even raises the alarm' he told her menacingly. 'So you're going to be a good girl and retract your statement with the Police and I'm going to tear up the divorce papers. We're not going to get a divorce…you know this, I've told you enough times' he said to her as he looked up to see the bus coming. 'I meant it…now do as you're told or you're going to be very, very sorry' he said and he jabbed her with the gun once more 'and Joey is going to be very dead' he got up and walked away from her.

Lauren had gone to Derek's as soon as she got off the bus and had broken down in tears as she told him the threats Jake had made to her. Both of them agreed not to tell Joey anything. Lauren had wanted to go to the Police to retract her statement about Jake but Derek made her see she couldn't. If she did Jake would be getting what he wanted and not what he deserved. Instead he agreed to take Lauren to the Police station tomorrow to tell them what had happened this afternoon, with Jake threatening her. He promised her nothing would happen to her or Joey, not while he had breath in his body. Lauren was still scared though…she knew Jake…knew what he was capable of. She'd been on the receiving end of it enough times. There was no doubt in her mind that his threats to kill Joey were valid. She knew he was more than capable of following through on his threat. And furthermore she knew why. It was just another thing he could take away from her. He would be hurting her. That was the one thing Jake did best. Lauren glanced over at Joey sleeping beside her. Her heart raced as she thought about life without him. She decided she wouldn't report Jake to the Police. Maybe he would just leave the two of them alone.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews. I'm so glad that you are enjoying TBB. Well what do we all make of Jake's threats? Are they just that … empty threats? What is Lauren going to do? Next chapter will be posted tomorrow. Leave me a review x **


	136. Chapter 136

**Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-five**

Over the next few days Joey grew increasingly worried about Lauren. She'd become a little withdrawn and distant from him. She was also prone to bursting into a tears, which she told him was because of her hormones, but he wasn't so sure she was telling him the whole truth. She was acting in much the same way she had been before Jake appeared on the scene after she had moved to Walford...like she had a secret. He was worried about what the secret could be. He was determined to find out.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren took her break at the club and Joey followed her. 'Are you feeling okay?' he asked her softly closing the door behind him.

'Yes' she nodded her head 'although I'm a little tired' she admitted.

'Maybe we need to talk to Sharon about your late night shifts?' he asked her.

She nodded her head in agreement 'maybe' she replied as she poured them both a coffee, carrying the cups back to the couch in the middle of the room.

'Why don't you give it another hour and I can walk you home, get you settled into bed. Then I'll come back and finish off the shift with Ricky?' he asked her as she sat down and handed him a cup.

'I can work tonight' Lauren told him, not wanting to be left alone in the flat.

Joey sighed 'I don't want you to overdo things, babe' he said.

'I won't, I'm okay' she said softly 'I promise' she moved forward and kissed him softly. 'I want to be where you are' Joey put his arm around her and gave her a hug. 'I don't want to be in the flat by myself' she added with a whisper.

'Why? You know you're safe there' he questioned. 'I changed the locks and you and I are only ones with the keys'

'I know, but…but I don't know that you're safe unless you're with me' she whispered.

'Why wouldn't I be safe?' he frowned, wondering where this train of thought had come from. 'Lauren, talk to me, I know there's something bothering you' he told her 'and I'm worried about you. You know too much stress isn't good for the baby'

She looked up at him 'I wouldn't do anything to hurt the baby' she told him wide-eyed, shocked he thought she would.

'I know, I didn't mean it like that…I just meant…you know you can talk to me' he said to her.

'Yes, I do… talk to you'

'Mostly…but not about this, whatever it is that's bothering you' he explained to her. She sighed and looked down and then moved away from him and sat forward. 'Baby, please talk to me' he rubbed her back gently.

She took a deep breath and shifted on the couch to face him 'I saw Jake' she told him softly, glancing up and watching his face.

'What? When? What happened? Why didn't you tell me? What did he say? What did he do?' he fired a string of questions off at her.

'At the doctor's surgery after I called you' he said 'He sat down next to me at the bus stop' she swallowed 'he told me he had a gun, he kept poking something into my side…' she told him 'I don't if it was a gun….' She added as I that would make a difference.

'Why the hell didn't you tell me?' he frowned at her, suddenly angry with her. 'The doctor's appointment was three days ago. You should've told me straight away' he got up and started to pace the floor.

'I didn't tell you because I knew you were going to react like this' she frowned at him.

'I can't believe he had the nerve to come near you' he said 'this is my fault. I should've been at the doctor's appointment with you. Then I could have dealt with him'

'NO!' Lauren exclaimed 'you have to stay away from him. If you see him you need to run' she told him panicked 'Promise me you'll run' she looked at him pleadingly, tears flooding her eyes as she remembered Jake's threat.

Joey frowned at her 'I can handle Jake' he told her bemused by her over the top concern. 'You don't have to worry about me, kitten' he told her.

'He had a gun, Joey' she looked up at him with tear filled eyes. 'He…he threatened me…'

'I've already told you he's not going to hurt you' Joey told her crouching down in front of her. 'You're safe now I promise you'

'You don't understand…he told me he's not going to sign the divorce papers. He told me I had to go to the Police and retract the statement I made and tell them I was lying…he said if I didn't…' she paused unable to say the words out loud. Joey waited as she took a few deep breaths 'he said if I didn't he was going to kill you' she told him and then bursting into tears.

Joey frowned 'Baby, don't cry' he said softly, he pulled her into his arms and held her gently as she cried brokenly against his neck. 'You should've told me'

'And you would've done what?' Lauren pulled away to look at him 'You would've gone looking for him and he would've shot you and I'd be all alone…' she frowned at him. Joey knew she was right, he would've gone looking for Jake without question, 'Hey…don't cry, we're both safe and together' he soothed her 'I promise I won't go looking for Jake, but we need to go to the Police and tell them what happened, what he said to you' he told her firmly. Lauren shook her head. 'You can't let him win, kitten' Joey said quietly. 'We'll go to the Police tomorrow and we'll tell them what happened…'

'No' Lauren shook her head, she stood up and walked away from him. 'I'm going to retract the statement' she said to him. Joey shook his head, with a sad smile on his face.

'That won't make a difference, babe. The CPS have already told you there's enough evidence to take Jake to Court. They can still proceed without your statement based on the evidence they have. You'll still have to go to Court and face everyone. You weren't lying babe, telling the Police was the bravest thing you've ever done. Are you going to let him take that away from you too? Are you going to let him continue to control you? To have a say in your life?' Joey stood up with a frown 'I love you, Lauren. We're having a baby together, starting a family…I want to marry you…I thought you wanted the same things?' he asked her.

She turned to look at him 'You don't know Jake the same way I do. You've no idea what he is capable of…'

'Then we let the Police handle him' Joey told her as he crossed the room to stand in front of her, taking her by the shoulders. 'You have to go to the Police, Lauren. You have to report this. I'm going to be okay, I promise you' he told her.

'That's what Derek said' she admitted to him.

'You spoke to Dad about this and not me?' he said, a little hurt and annoyed she didn't come to him.

'He saw me when I got off the bus, he saw how upset I was and he took me back to his and I burst into tears' she explained to him, 'and you admitted you would've gone after Jake if I'd told you what happened' she frowned at him

'Didn't dad tell you that you needed to go to the Police?' Joey frowned wondering why his dad hadn't frog-marched her down to the station there and then.

'Yes, of course he did' Lauren told him with a nod of her head 'but I told him what I told you…' she trailed off and took a deep breath.

'Look Ricky can hold the fort and we can head down to the station now' he said to her.

'What if he's waiting outside the club for us?' she asked him.

'I'm going to call Uncle Jack' he said seeing how frightened she looked at the thought of Jake being outside the club with a gun. 'He'll know what to do, who to call' he told her.

'Okay' she nodded her head, watching him with wide eyes as he pulled his mobile out of his pocket.

'Come here' he held his hand out to her and she rushed to his side, he pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head as he waited for Jack to answer.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Lauren has finally told Joey about what happened with Jake. The poor girl was so terrified of what Jake will do to Joey and the fear of her losing him. At least Joey has reacted in a good way and has persuaded Lauren they need to go to the Police. And once again Uncle Jack will be coming to the rescue. Next chapter up tomorrow. Leave me a review x **


	137. Chapter 137

**Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-six**

Lauren was tired when they got back from the Police station at 6:00am. She wanted to go straight back to the flat and crawl into bed, but Jack and Joey were both hungry and Joey told her she needed to eat too, so they headed to the café. Joey noticed Lauren was quiet and he knew she was worried about the repercussions of what she'd just done. She barely ate her breakfast, merely toying with it as she pushed it around the plate. Joey wasn't going to push her to either. He'd make her something to eat later. When the two boys had finished, Jack paid for the food and then walked Lauren and Joey home. Telling Lauren she'd done the right thing. Joey knew she wasn't convinced.

She'd gone through to the bedroom to sleep after insisting, almost on the verge of tears, that Joey double lock the door and push something large and heavy in front of it. He sat on the sofa, his mind racing through the events of last night and the early hours of the morning. He was too wired to sleep. He took a deep breath and he pulled out his phone and called Sharon. He had another favour to ask her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Later, when Lauren woke up and wandered through the flat to find Joey, she saw he'd set the table in the lounge, and there was a smell coming from the kitchen that made her stomach rumble and her mouth water, she was starving. An unwanted memory flashed through her mind, a table laid out like this back in Bexley, a dinner cooked for her by Jake. She also remembered the beating that followed afterwards because she couldn't eat all the food he'd cooked for her. She'd spent three days laying on the bedroom floor unable to move because he'd beaten her so badly…she swallowed back the bile that suddenly rose in her throat. She hadn't told Joey about that incident, he thought the first time Jake had beaten her so badly had been the reason she'd pressed charges. Her mouth watered once again when she saw Joey walk into the room. He was wearing black suit pants and a dark blue shirt with the top two buttons undone. He looked good enough to eat.

'What's all this in aid of?' she asked him, trying to sound casual as her mind imagined him standing before her naked.

'Am I not allowed to spoil my girlfriend?' he asked her 'did you sleep, okay?'

'Yes' she said as he walked towards her 'you look nice' she told him as he came to stop in front of her and put his hands on her waist. Lauren ran her hands up his chest and circled them behind his neck 'I feel underdressed' she said looking at the baggy red sweatpants she was wearing and the holey t-shirt.

'You look very sexy' he told her seriously. She rolled her eyes at him but didn't protest 'Are you hungry?'

'Mmhmm I'm starved and dinner smells good' she told him.

'Well, it's almost ready' he told her as he took one of her hands and led her towards the table. He pulled out the chair for her and she sat down. 'I'll be right back' he told her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

After they'd eaten dinner, Joey cleared away the plates and disappeared into the kitchen, he came back with a bowl and he sat it down in front of her. She peered inside and saw chocolate ice-cream with sprinkles on it. She smiled 'I can't eat all this' she told him.

'It's a good job I brought two spoons then isn't it?' he told her and she smiled at him as he held up the spoons, pulling his chair closer to hers.

'We only need one' she said taking one spoon from him and scooping up some ice-cream, holding it up to his mouth, he ate the first mouthful.

'Mmm, this is good' he told her.

'Chocolate ice cream always is' Lauren said 'there isn't anything that chocolate ice-cream can't fix' she told him.

'Except for nausea' Joey replied as he accepted another spoonful of ice cream. They ate the ice cream with alternating spoonful's until it was gone. Joey moved forward and kissed her lips gently. He rose from the chair and Lauren expected him to take the bowl into the kitchen, instead he crouched down beside her. 'I love you. You know that right?' he asked her. She nodded her head 'you know there's nothing in the world that I wouldn't do for you' he looked at her expectantly. 'I'd walk to the ends of the earth and back for you. I'd give you the stars and the moon if I could. I'd give you anything you asked for, even if I had to beg, borrow, steal or kill to get it for you'

'I know' she whispered softly. He reached into his pocket, her eyes followed his hand. She frowned when it came out empty. 'I love you too, Joey'

Joey smiled at her, his heart beat just a little bit faster as he heard her say the words back to him. 'I know you're worried about what's going to happen now you've been to the Police, you're worried about what Jake is going to do, worried about the future, our future' he told her 'and I don't want you to worry. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here with you, with our baby. And we're going to be happy and blessed with a son or a daughter and many, many more children' he told her 'you made me realise I can't spend my whole life screwing around. I want more. I want the house and the white picket fence and a whole brood of kids' he said softly 'And I want it all with you' he said softly. He licked his lips 'I don't want to wait anymore, Lauren. You're it for me and I think I knew it the first time I saw you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I want the rest of our life to start now…I'm hoping you do too…will you marry me, Lauren?'

It was only then she realised he wasn't crouching, he was kneeling on one knee. She swallowed as she made the connection. He was proposing to her and he was holding his hand out to her. She glanced down and saw a ring in the palm of his hand. She'd been right earlier he had taken something out of his pocket. Her eyes met his again and she could see the emotions running deeply in them. He was looking at her expectantly, he was waiting for her answer. She glanced down at the ring again and her heart raced in her chest. Her answer was obvious. She raised her eyes to his again 'yes' she said, her voice a little shaky with emotion. 'Yes, Joey. I'll marry you' she told him.

Joey licked his lips and he took the ring and carefully slid it on the ring finger of her left hand and she smiled at him.

Joey moved forward and cupped her face in his hands and he kissed her softly. 'I think we should celebrate our engagement' he whispered against her lips.

'You do?' she asked him wondering if this meant they were going to go the Vic, she really didn't want to go to the Vic, she wanted sex. A lot of sex.

'Yes I do' he said, taking both her hands, pulling her to her feet as he stood up.

**AN: Thanks for your reviews. Well Lauren has told the Police what Jake threatened to do. Joey is so sweet and romantic and now he's proposed…. Let's hope his celebration ideas don't mean a trip to the Vic. Next chapter will be posted tomorrow. Leave me a review,**


	138. Chapter 138

**Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Seven **

Much to Lauren's relief Joey had taken her to the bedroom instead of to the Vic. He led her by the hand to the bedroom where he kissed her softly and tenderly. His hands running all over her body as he stripped her of her clothes. Once she was naked, his hands cupped her breasts as he backed her towards the bed.

Lauren sat down on the bed and pulled herself into the middle, sitting up watching Joey as he took off his clothes…slowly.

Her bottom lip slipped between her teeth as she watched her very handsome and sexy boyfriend…correction, fiancé…strip for her. When he was as naked as she was, he smiled at her and climbed onto the bed. Lauren circled her arms around his neck as he pushed her onto her back, her legs automatically wrapped around his waist, raising her hips.

'No foreplay?' he asked her raising his eyebrows.

She shook her head 'Please, Joey…I need you now' she told him softly.

'Your wish is my command, kitten' Joey pressed a kiss to her lips and he pressed forward, entering her slowly, causing them both to moan softly. Joey held her gaze as he moved slowly inside her. She was staring up at him, wonder and pure love in the depths of her eyes and it took Joey's breath away. Each time they did this it was like it was the first time all over again. Joey had clearly had plenty of experience of doing this, but with Lauren it felt new… it felt different to every other woman he'd done this with. Although essentially it was very different anyway, he hadn't really made love to any other woman than the person beneath him now… apart from Rebecca but now wasn't the time to be thinking of her. 'Do you know how much I love you?' he murmured to her.

'Your earlier question did give me an idea, Joey' she giggled softly.

'Don't tease me, kitten… I'm being serious…' his eyes burned into hers.

'Of course I know, Joey… it's just as much as I love you…' she told him softly.

'I don't want you to ever doubt my feelings, babe… you need to believe them… believe me…' he breathed, his hand brushing up the side of her body until his fingers laced through hers. 'I don't want you to ever be scared of me… to fear me…' he murmured, kissing her mouth softly. He dotted kisses across her face to her ear, 'Please tell me you believe me…?' he whispered in her ear.

'I believe you…' she gasped as he moved slowly inside her.

His breath hitched slightly as she kissed the corner of his jaw. 'And you'll never be scared of me?' he whispered.

'Never' she whimpered as she felt her peak edging closer.

'I just want to look after you and our child… I want to provide for you both and any future children we have together…'

'Let's see how we go with one first, Joey…before you start planning more' she giggled.

'This is all new to me…and it's a little scary being completely in love with someone and all these feelings of vulnerability and anxiety I have are also scary…I never want to lose you, Lauren'

'You won't' she shook her head 'I'm not going anywhere…I couldn't even if I wanted to' she teased him, tightening her thighs against him.

'I'm being serious, kitten…' Joey's eyes burned into hers.

Lauren lifted her free hand and brushed the side of his face, her fingers grasping his chin and turning it so he was looking at her, 'I know you are, Joey… and that's why I love you…'

'You do?' he said, exhibiting a rarely shown vulnerability.

'Yes' she whispered 'more than anything in the whole world' she breathed, closing her eyes and moaning as his length brushed over just the right place. 'Yes, Joey… God yes…' she breathed, biting her lip as she edged closer to her longed for bliss.

'Look at me, kitten…' he told her softly. Lauren opened her eyes, looking up into the dark swirling pools of emotion staring down at her. 'Look into my eyes as we make love… see my deepest feelings for you as we come together…' he added and she nodded her head, 'and I'll see yours too' he whispered. He moved a little faster now, hearing her breathing increase as they both started to climb. They looked deeply into each other's eyes, kisses shared between them both. Lauren whimpered his name as she clenched around him, her free hand brushing up over his back and cupping the back of his head. Joey tightened his hand on hers, squeezing it as he began to pulse inside her. This was quite possibly the most intense experience of his life and he hoped it wouldn't be the last. He panted her name over and over like a mantra as he throbbed within her. Lauren lifted her head and kissed him tenderly on the mouth, her legs tightening around his body. He kissed her again, deeper this time, feeling his peak fade away as he slipped from her body. He tried to pull away from her, wanting to roll them onto his back.

'Stay…' she murmured, tightening her grip on him so he couldn't move easily.

'I don't want to squash you…either of you' he said with a soft smile.

'I like lying like this… and you won't.' Lauren replied 'We like it'

Joey relented, kissing her softly before lying his head on her shoulder. He closed his eyes briefly, not sure he had ever been this happy before. Who would've thought his life could be as good as this. Not him, that was for sure.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren's fingers ran up and down his back as they lay together.

'Joey?' she whispered into the darkness.

'Mmm' he nodded his head.

'We will be okay won't we?' she asked him in a small voice.

'Yeah, of course we will' he nodded his head, opening his eyes to look at her 'we're going to be better than okay' he told her 'we're going to be perfect' he said softly. He drew her into a kiss, his hand slid down her side and pulled her leg over his hip.

'Again?' she giggled happily.

'Again' he murmured against her lips 'I don't think either of us are going to be getting much sleep tonight' his voice was laced with promise.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews which I reply to tonight **** Well I think Lauren's pretty relieved that Joey's idea of a celebration was the same as hers! Next chapter up tomorrow and it's a time jump! Leave me a review x**


	139. Chapter 139

**Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Eight**

Eight weeks later, Lauren opened the door and waited for the Police officer to come up to the flat. She wondered if the visit meant they'd found Jake and had rearrested him again. She knew if they had, he wouldn't be granted bail this time as he'd be declared a flight risk because he'd broken his bail conditions. There was also the statement that she'd made about him threatening to kill her and Joey. She was hoping this visit would being good news. The two officers appeared at the door way and Lauren didn't recognise either one of them.

'Mrs Stone?' one of them asked her.

'Yes' she nodded her head, a slight frown marring her features.

'I'm DI Pearson and this is my colleague Emma Roberts, Family Liaison Officer. May we come in?' he asked her.

'Of course' she nodded her head a slight frown on her face 'can I make you a tea or coffee?' she offered them refreshments.

'No, thank you, won't you take a seat Mrs Stone?'

'Lauren, please' she said walking to the sofa and sitting down. 'Is this about Jake? Have you found him, have you arrested him again?'

'We have found Jake' Emma Roberts nodded her head, taking the lead of the conversation.

'Is he back in custody?' Lauren asked her hopefully.

'No. He's not' Emma shook her head 'I'm very sorry to tell you this Lauren, but Jake is dead' she continued 'he was found at 6:30am this morning and we're treating his death as murder'

Lauren swallowed and looked down at her hands. 'Murder?' she whispered. 'Who?'

'We don't know' Emma said softly 'we'd like you to formally identify the body'

'How?' Lauren looked up at them both 'how was he killed?'

'He was beaten and shot' DI Pearson told her. Lauren nodded her head. 'Are you okay to come to the morgue with us or would you like to call someone to come with you?'

'I'm fine' she said nodding her head. She got up and walked to the door, taking her coat off the hook and pulling it on. She grabbed her keys and bag and she stood by the door expectantly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren was taken to a plain looking room. The only furniture it held was a small coffee table and three chairs. There were some flowers on the window sill that had seen better days. The room was dark and uninviting. Lauren didn't like it. She sighed and looked at her watch wondering how long this was going to take. In front of her was a large glass window with a dull greyish blue curtain hanging closed behind it. She heard the door open and close softly behind her and she turned to see the detective and the family liaison officer in the room with her. A soft whirring noise turned her attention back to the glass and she saw the curtain being drawn back. There, laying on a white cushioned table, was the man she'd loathed and despised for most of her life.

'That's him. That's my husband…Jake Stone' she nodded her head. Her eyes took in the swollen and bruised face. The bruising seemed much more prominent against his grey coloured skin. 'Do you know who did it?' she asked them her voice soft.

'No, as we said before we have no leads as yet' Emma replied.

'Will I get to meet them?' she asked. When neither of them replied she turned to look at them both, turning her back on Jake. 'If you catch whoever did this, will I get to meet them?' she repeated.

'At the trial…if they don't plead guilty' Emma said.

'I'd like to meet them, either way' she continued 'I'd like to see them face to face and I'd like to shake their hand and thank them for finally getting rid of that piece of scum' she said 'you shouldn't arrest them, you should give them a bloody medal' she told them, she saw surprise flash across both the officers faces. She walked towards the door and opened it. 'Do I have to tell his parents?'

'No' Emma said, 'we can do that for you'

'Good' Lauren said and she walked out of the door without a backward glance towards her dead husband.

'Mrs Stone…' DI Pearson called after her.

'Miss Cross' she said 'now that I'm not married anymore I'm reverting back to my maiden name' she told him.

'We have some papers for you to sign' Lauren nodded her head and followed them down the dimly lit corridor and to a small office, she took a seat in a chair and looked at them both expectantly. 'Would you like his personal effects?' DI Pearson asked her.

'No' Lauren shook her head 'I don't want anything of his.' Once again she saw surprise cross the man's face 'You think I'm being too cold and closed off about the death of my husband?' she asked him. 'He treated me like a piece of shit he'd trod in. He hit me and on two occasions almost killed me. He was the cause of my miscarriage just after we first got married. He was a bully and a liar and cheat and a thief. I'm glad he's dead' she told them coldly, looking DI Pearson directly in the eye 'I wish I'd had the courage to kill him myself' she told them both. 'I feel…relieved…happy that he's dead. He got what he deserved and then some'

Emma looked at Lauren 'I understand how difficult this is for you and I'm here to help you whenever you need me' she said and she pulled out a small card and handed it to her.

'Thank you' she said taking the card 'but I'm not the one you should be giving this too' she told her 'Jake has a girlfriend in Bexley…they have kids…she's probably the one you should be giving this to' she pushed the card into her handbag nonetheless 'now you said something about papers you needed me to sign?'

Lauren signed the first two papers, confirming she was his wife and had made the formal identification of the body. The third paper was to have the body released to her for the funeral. She put the pen down and slid the papers across the desk. 'I'm not arranging a funeral for him' she said shaking her head 'I don't want his body' she frowned at the thought.

'That's okay' Emma said 'we can release his body to his parents'

Lauren nodded her head 'that's a better idea' she said 'is that all? Can I go now?' she asked them.

'Of course, I'll drive you home' Emma said. Lauren shook her head as she got up out of the chair. 'I can make my own way home now that he's…' she smiled 'I don't have to be afraid of him anymore do I?' she asked them.

'No, Miss Cross' DI Pearson smiled at her kindly 'you don't'

'Can I ask you something?' she asked him.

'Of course' he nodded his head.

'Do you have any suspects? Did you get any clues about who did this?'

'No' he shook his head 'Whoever it was, they were very careful. Covered their tracks, there was no DNA at the scene. He was shot with his own gun…'

'Well doesn't that just scream karma' she said to him. 'Thank you' she said and she walked out of the room.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lucy frowned as _her_ phone rang again, and like the 6 times before she seemed to be ignoring it. Lucy wished whoever it was that was calling her would get the message already and leave her a voicemail or send her a text message. The shrill bell like tone _she _had on her phone was beginning to grate on Lucy's last nerve. She sighed in relief as the phone stopped ringing. Her relief turned to annoyance as the shrill tone filled the café again. She threw down the cloth she was holding onto the counter and marched over to the table Lauren was sitting at.

'Aren't you going to answer that?' she demanded angrily. Lauren didn't respond to her so Lucy snatched the phone off the table and answered it. 'Look, whoever the Hell this is please take the hint she doesn't want to talk to you. So do us all a favour and stop ringing!'

'Lucy? It's Joey'

'Joey?' Lucy frowned hearing his voice.

'Where is she?'

'At the café, where she's been for the last hour and a half, nursing the same cup of coffee….' She glared at Lauren.

'Keep her there' Joey told her 'I'm on my way' he said ringing off.

Lucy rolled her eyes and dropped the phone back on the table and looked at Lauren. 'You have to buy more than one cup of coffee you know, you can't just sit here all day, this isn't a doss house' she snapped at her and snatched the cold untouched coffee off the table and took it into the kitchen.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

A few minutes later a worried Joey came into the café, his eyes met Lucy's as she nodded her head towards the back of the café. She watched as Joey rushed to the table, slipping into the seat in front of Lauren. 'Lauren?' he said softly, reaching across the table and taking her hands in his, she was cold. 'Lauren? Talk to me, what's happened?' he asked her softly. Lucy picked up the cloth and the disinfectant spray and pretended to clean tables, gradually getting closer and closer to the table Joey and Lauren were currently sitting at so she could earwig on their conversation. 'Lauren? Where have you been?' he asked her 'you know you shouldn't be going out anywhere on your own. You know it isn't safe' he reminded her urgently.

Lauren looked at him, 'it's okay' she said to him 'he can't hurt me anymore' she told him, shaking her head slightly.

Joey frowned at her 'what do you mean?'

'They came to see me' she said quietly.

'Who came to see you?' he pressed when she didn't continue.

'The Police' she replied.

'The Police came to see you?' Joey frowned at her 'have they found Jake? Has he been arrested?' he asked her. Lauren shook her head again and said nothing. 'Lauren…talk to me…please?' he frowned at her, he glanced up and saw Lucy at the table opposite them. 'Lucy can you bring me a tea please?' he asked her. Lucy glanced at Lauren and then nodded her head. She ducked behind the counter and made a tea and brought it back over to the table watching as Joey tore open three sachets of sugar, stirred it and then pushed the cup to Lauren 'drink this, babe. It'll make you feel better' he told her. Lauren looked down at the cup and picked it up and took a sip, pulling a face at the sweet hot liquid. She put the cup back down on the table. 'Lauren what's happened?' he asked her again, the worry clear in his voice.

'He's dead' Lauren whispered. 'Jake… he's dead' she told him.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well I bet you all didn't expect that to happen did you? Jake is dead and he's been murdered! I'd be interested to know who you think he was murdered by or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught up in something that he shouldn't have been? Anyone want another chapter? Well you know what to do! Leave me a review xxx **


	140. Chapter 140

**Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Nine**

Joey swallowed, his eyes widening as she told him what had happened. 'I had to go and identify the body' she told him, she picked up the tea and took another drink 'sign some papers'

'What happened?' Joey asked her 'how did he die?'

Lauren looked up at him, the image of his cold dead body flashed through her mind, she felt tears sting the back of her eyes. 'He was beaten and then shot' Lauren replied as tears rolled down her cheeks. 'He's really gone' she whispered. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed brokenly. Joey was taken aback by her grief for the man that caused her nothing but pain and misery for such a long time. He was sick to the stomach that she was crying for him, mourning for him. He was horrified as he realised that she loved him. Despite everything he'd done to her, had said to her, put her through…despite all the times she'd said she despised him…she loved him. Joey pulled back, the chair scrapped nosily as he stood up, not knowing what to do or say or how to even process the fact she loved Jake. He turned and ran out of the café, leaving Lauren there crying. Lucy frowned at Joey's reaction, she looked at Lauren and then sighed. She slid into the seat Joey had vacated and looked at Lauren, she pulled some of the napkins out of the holder and held them out to her,

'Here' she said softly. Lauren lowered her hands and she took the offered napkins.

'Thank you' she replied, wiping her eyes and then blowing her nose 'where's Joey?' she frowned, not realising he'd left her.

'I don't know' Lucy said softly 'he left…Look, why don't I take you home?' she asked her.

'Okay' Lauren nodded her head.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lucy sat Lauren down on the sofa and looked for something to give her to drink, she was clearly in shock. She found some Brandy and poured a generous amount into a glass and pressed the glass into Lauren's hand 'drink this' she told her. 'It'll help with the shock'

'I can't' Lauren shook her head putting the glass down on the coffee table 'I'm pregnant' she told her. Surprise crossed Lucy's face and she sat down beside her, picking up the glass.

'Is it Jake's?' Lucy asked her.

'No. It's mine' Lauren replied. Lucy took a swig of the Brandy grimacing as she swallowed the bitter tasting liquid.

'He's really dead?' Lucy asked her.

'Yes, I saw the body' Lauren nodded her head. 'I know what he did to you…he told me…and Joey did too, told me the part he played' Lucy blinked at her and took another drink of Brandy. 'I'm sorry…that Jake did that to you…and I'm sorry for Joey using you like that'

Lucy looked at her in surprise 'you're apologising to me?'

'Someone has to' Lauren said 'Jake can't, he's dead and even if he wasn't he'd never apologise' she shook her head 'and if he did he didn't really mean it' she looked down.

'He hurt you a lot?' Lucy asked her. 'Jake?'

'Yeah, he did' Lauren nodded her head 'and I was scared of him. Scared of what would happen if I ever went to the Police…coming here…I ran when he went on a trip, packed up my things and left'

'Why here?' Lucy asked curiously.

Lauren sighed 'my mum used to live here when she was a little girl, she always talked about how much she loved it here' Lauren explained 'and I thought…why not?' she told her 'it wasn't supposed to be a permanent thing, me staying here, it was just supposed to be a stop gap. I was supposed to make enough money so that I could move somewhere else, keep moving…'

'So what happened?' Lucy asked her.

Lauren looked up at her 'Being here, felt like home. I felt close to my mum, I had friends for the first time in a long time. And I felt safe' she laughed softly. 'Until he found me, anyway' she frowned and looked down at her engagement ring. Lucy followed her gaze, she frowned at the ring, wondering who'd given to her. There was one possibility, but she didn't want to believe it.

'Do the Police have any suspects?' Lucy asked her, tearing her eyes and mind off the ring.

'No' Lauren shook her head 'whoever it was, they were careful not to leave any evidence behind…' she smiled 'or clever enough…'

'Do you know who killed him?'

'No' Lauren shook her head and she levelled her gaze with Lucy's 'I don't. But even if I did I wouldn't tell the Police. Jake got what he deserved and as far as I'm concerned whoever killed him deserves a big thank you and a medal'

Lucy nodded her head 'Yeah, they do' she agreed, the two girls shared a smile. 'And a parade' she added 'with ticker tape and a brass band' Lauren giggled and soon both girls were laughing hysterically.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

After Lucy left Lauren sat on the sofa, twisting her engagement ring round and round on her finger. She was free of Jake, she was widowed. She was free to marry Joey. She wondered if it would look bad if they got married quickly. She shrugged and decided she didn't care. She pulled her phone out of her handbag and dialed Joey's number, frowning when she discovered his phone was off. She wondered why he'd left the café earlier. A cold hand of steel wrapped around her heart and started to squeeze tightly…did he kill Jake? Was that why he left the café, left her? She made a vow to herself there and then, that if Joey did kill Jake she would do everything in her power to protect him. Even if it meant lying to the Police and telling them she killed Jake. She wasn't going to let Jake take anything else away from her.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. I take it from the review that you weren't expecting that little twist? I like to keep you on your toes… So Joey's left Lauren crying in the café…was she crying over Jake and ooh…Lucy and Lauren have bonded and I think Lucy has finally put things together in her head about Lauren and Joey! Next chapter will be posted tomorrow. Leave me a review x **


	141. Chapter 141

**Chapter One hundred and Forty**

Joey stared at the drink in his hand as he leant on the bar at the Queen Vic. His thoughts were whirring around in his head. He was shocked and stunned by what he'd witnessed in the café, if he hadn't see it with his own eyes he never would've believed it. He picked up the glass and sniffed it, scotch wasn't his drink; he preferred Brandy or beer. He wasn't really a spirits guy. He took a mouthful of the liquid and swallowed, almost retching as it slid down his throat. He put the glass down again. Jake was dead. Someone had killed him. She was mourning him, the woman he loved was mourning the man that abused her. He couldn't wrap his head around that fact. It stumped him. He picked up the scotch again and took another mouthful before putting the glass down and pushing it away from him with a grimace.

'Joey!' Jack said walking into the pub, 'bit early for you to be drinking isn't it?' he asked him.

'Yeah, a little' he nodded his head.

'Is everything okay?' he asked his nephew. 'I saw a Police car outside the flat earlier'

'Jake's dead' Joey said.

'What?' Jack asked in surprise. 'When?'

'I don't know' he told him 'Lauren went to identify the body and when I found her in the café she said he was dead, he'd been shot'

'How's Lauren?' Jack asked him 'where is Lauren?' he looked around the pub, frowning when he didn't see her.

'I don't know' Joey admitted to him 'the last time I saw she was crying over him in the café' he bit out, his voice sounding bitter to his own ears.

'So you don't know where she is?' Jack asked his nephew.

'No. Not exactly, she could still be at the café' he shrugged his shoulders.

'You just left her?' Jack frowned 'I don't understand'

'She was crying over him, because he's dead' Joey snapped at him 'Openly crying as though her heart was broken…' he trailed off.

'You're an idiot' Jack shook his head 'she's probably in shock…she's just been to the morgue to identify her dead husband. You don't think she's going to be a little emotional about it' he asked Joey 'she's free' he told him 'you get that don't you? She's finally free of him'

Joey looked at him, he hadn't thought about it like that. Maybe that's why she was crying. Because she could finally stop looking over her shoulder, she could stop being afraid of Jake appearing from behind every corner. He couldn't stop her doing what she wanted to do anymore. She could get married. They were free to get married now.

'I have to go' Joey told him. Jack rolled his eyes and nodded his head.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Lauren heard the door to the flat open and close and looked up to see Joey come in. 'I'm sorry' he said walking over to her and dropping to his knees in front of her. 'I shouldn't have run off like that' he told her.

'It's okay' she said softly. 'Joey, I have to ask you something and you don't have to answer me, it's okay if you don't want to tell me' she told him.

'You can ask me anything you want to' he told her with a frown 'you know that' he wondered what it was she wanted to know.

'Did you kill Jake?' she asked him seriously.

'No' he shook his head, stunned and a little offended she felt she had to ask him.

'Because it's okay if you did, I'm not angry with you. The Police said whoever killed him was very careful, left no trace of themselves at the crime scene' she said looking deep into his eyes. 'They don't have a clue who it was, they have no suspects…' she trailed off. Joey clasped her face in his hands.

'I didn't kill him' he told her firmly 'I promised you I wasn't going to do anything stupid that would mean you and I could get torn apart' he told her 'and I meant it. I love you and I want to be with you, I wouldn't jeopardise that by killing Jake, no matter how much I'd want to' he told her softly, shaking his head. 'I promise you I didn't kill Jake' he told her honestly.

'Okay' Lauren nodded her head and she licked her lips 'I believe you' she said, even though deep down she didn't. Not that it actually mattered if he'd killed Jake or not. All that mattered was she was free. 'Listen, Joey. I was thinking…we can get married now' she told him 'I mean it's still what you want right?' she asked him a little nervously.

'Yes, of course it is' he nodded his head. 'Do you want to start making arrangements?' he asked her.

'I do' she nodded her head slightly 'but do you think people with think it'll be a little too soon?'

'Do you really care what people think?' he asked her, taking her hands in his.

'No…not really' she said to him 'I mean…maybe a little' she said 'People have only just stopped talking about me…when we announce we're getting married and I'm pregnant the gossipmongers tongues are going to start wagging again' she looked up at him 'I'm more worried about mum, you, your family than me' she told him. 'I mean…. Should we wait until after the funeral?'

'Do you want to?' he asked her 'wait I mean? Do you plan to go to the funeral?'

Lauren shook her head 'No. I have no desire to pay respects of any kind' she told him 'I wouldn't sign the form that released the body to me' she told him 'I'd be inclined to just pour petrol on him and set him on fire' she admitted to him.

'You didn't tell the Police that did you?' he asked her worriedly.

'No, of course not' she said shaking her head 'But I did tell them I was glad he was dead and if they ever found out who killed him I wanted to meet them, shake their hand and thank them for doing something I was too much of a coward to do'

'Do they suspect you?' he asked her.

'No. I don't think so' she frowned 'they didn't say they did' she took a breath 'you don't think they do, do you?' her worried gaze met his.

'No' he shook his head 'I don't think so, they would've said something to you if they did' he told her softly, trying to ease her worry. She nodded her head.

'Yes, you're probably right' she told him softly.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews **** Once again Uncle Jack comes to the rescue. A little talk with Joey and he's off to find Lauren. There's been so many guesses as to who/why Jake was killed…you all have given very interesting answers….next chapter will be up tomorrow x **


	142. Chapter 142

**Chapter One Hundred and Forty-One**

The door buzzer sounded to Joey's flat as they were snuggled together on the sofa. He tore his lips from hers with a growl. 'I'll go' he said 'Do not move' he ordered her sternly..

'Promise' she whispered with a giggle.

Joey climbed off the sofa and bounded to the door, determined to get rid of whoever it was. He snatched the phone off the wall 'hello?' he barked.

'Joey, it's Tanya and Max' he heard Tanya say. He closed his eyes, so much for getting rid of them. He sighed, pressing the release button.

'Come on up' he said. He hung up the phone and opened the door to the flat and turned back to Lauren 'you should probably move' he said with a sigh as he looked at her 'Your mum and Max are on their way up.' She sat up and shrugged her blouse back on and did up the buttons. 'But we will finish this later' he promised her.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Five minutes after her mother and Max had arrived, Joey's father and his uncle Jack and Aunt Sharon turned up. Now they were all sitting in the lounge asking them both questions about Jake's murder.

Lauren had heard enough, she got up and walked to the window and looked out across the square to the house that had once been her home.

'Lauren?' Tanya asked her softly, she turned to look at her mother. 'Are you okay?' she asked her daughter.

'Yes. I'm fine' she nodded her head 'I just don't want to spend any more time thinking about Jake, or talking about him for that matter. He's dead. Good riddance' she said 'All I want think about is the rest of my life with Joey' she told her. 'We want to get married as soon as we can'

Tanya blinked at her 'don't you think you should wait a little while?' Tanya asked her.

Lauren shook her head 'I don't want to wait' she told her 'and in case you've forgotten, I'm pregnant, mum' she reminded her.

'Shouldn't you at least wait until Joey proposes to you?' she hissed at her daughter.

'He already has' Lauren said holding up her left hand.

Tanya's eyes widened in shock and surprise. 'When did this happen?' she asked her.

'A couple of months ago' Lauren said with a shrug.

'And you've been walking around wearing his ring whilst your _husband_ has been on the run?' she frowned at her 'Honestly, Lauren. I don't what you're thinking? Do you know how this could look?' she raised her voice slightly, the rest of the conversation in the flat stopped as they all turned to look at the two of them.

Lauren frowned at her, feeling her temper rising 'I don't care how it looks' she snapped at Tanya.

'I swear you don't have the common sense you were born with. You and Joey need to be careful'

'Why?' Lauren asked her with a frown.

'Your husband has just been murdered' Tanya said. Lauren blinked at her.

'Tan?' Max frowned 'what's going on?' he said walked over to them both, seeing how angry Tanya looked and how upset Lauren was. Joey moved across the room and he slid his arm around Lauren's waist, pulling her against his body.

'What's going on is that the two of them have got engaged and she has been flaunting the ring around like it's no one's business' Tanya filled everyone in.

'I haven't been flaunting anything' Lauren told her mother with an angry frown. 'It's taken you nine weeks to find out, that's hardly flaunting it, is it?'

'You know what the Police are going to think don't you?' Tanya hissed at her daughter 'they're going to think that you or Joey killed Jake so you two could get married'

'Yeah I'm sure that's what they're thinking right now' Lauren nodded her head 'well you know apart from the fact that Jake was beaten up before he was shot and look my knuckles aren't bruised and neither are Joey's and aside from the fact I don't even know how to fire a gun…let alone where to get one from' she snapped 'The Police have no evidence, no leads and no suspects. Whoever killed Jake covered their tracks pretty well and even if I was a suspect, I could claim self-defence or even temporary insanity'

Joey smiled 'she's been watching CSI late at night when she can't sleep' he explained 'gives her some pretty weird dreams doesn't it, babe?'

'Yeah it does' she nodded her head with a smile.

'Do you think this is funny?' Tanya turned her anger onto Joey.

'No' he said seriously 'I think its karma' he told her. 'If the Police want to come and take me in for questioning, let them. I've got nothing to hide and neither has Lauren' he said shaking his head.

'Why don't we all just calm down hey?' Jack said stepping forward, he glanced at Lauren and Joey. 'Come on, why don't you two help me make some tea and Max, maybe you can calm Tanya down hey?' he asked his brother.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren looked at Jack and nodded. 'I need to go to the bathroom' she told him softly as she moved away from Joey's side. Derek watched her as she walked out of the room.

Ten minutes later the group of them were seated around the dining table with tea and coffee. Joey had even managed to find some biscuits for them to eat. Lauren was seated on Joey's lap much to Tanya's dismay, she was still of the opinion the two of them were being too open about being together, even though the only people who knew they were actually together were currently in the same room as them or in Jake's case in the morgue.

'I think you should wait for a respectable time after the funeral before you announce that you're together' Tanya said to them both.

'You want me to show Jake respect?' Lauren asked her mother incredulously, 'after he showed me none? The longer we wait I'm going to start showing and everyone will assume the baby is Jake's and not Joey's' Lauren said. She shook her head 'I'm not waiting' she said, looking at Joey for affirmation.

'I agree with Lauren, we're not waiting' Joey replied.

'When is the funeral?' Jack asked Lauren.

'I don't know' she shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her tea. 'And I don't care'

'The Police released the body didn't they?' Jack frowned at her.

'Not to me, I refused to sign the papers' she said 'I told them to contact his parents. They can have him'

'Lauren!' Tanya exclaimed shocked by her daughter's attitude 'he was your husband!'

'He wasn't my husband' Lauren said raising her eyes to meet her mothers. Her eyes filled with tears of anger as she spoke about him 'he was the man who beat me, tortured me and raped me and you want me to bury him? You want me to be respectful of him? Seriously? You're out of your fucking mind if you think that is going to happen' she said sliding off Joey's lap.

'Do not speak to me like that young lady!' Tanya said getting to her feet too.

'Babe…' Joey murmured taking Lauren's hand in his gently. Lauren looked at him and sighed, turning towards her mother.

'I'm sorry' she said softly 'but I can't bury him, mum' she told her 'I just can't' she shook her head.

Tanya's face softened 'I know baby, I know' she replied quietly. She took a deep breath 'I just…I don't want you to rush into anything…'

'Joey's not like Jake' Lauren said softly 'He loves me and I love him' she told her 'why can't you be happy for me?' she asked her mother 'I guess that's too much to ask' she said letting go of Joey's hand and disappeared into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Joey got to his feet, walking to the door of the flat and opened it. 'Lauren needs to get some rest' he told them all 'I think you should all go'

Sharon and Jack were the first to their feet. 'We'll cover the bar tonight' Sharon told him 'we'll pay you both of course' she told him.

'Thanks' Joey smiled at his aunt.

'You need anything, you call us' Jack said squeezing Joey's shoulder. Max and Tanya were the next to leave, Max mouthing "I'll talk to her" as he walked past his nephew. Joey nodded his head in response.

Joey sighed as they left and turned to look at his dad 'Congratulations son' Derek said to him 'You've landed yourself a good one' he told him.

Joey smiled at him 'Yeah I have' he nodded his head 'thanks dad' he said.

'You take good care of her okay? Or you'll have me to answer to'

'Yes sir' Joey nodded his head.

Derek drew his son into a hug. 'I'm so proud of you Joey' he told him 'And I love you and Alice so much'

'We know that, we love you too dad' he said as his father let him go. Joey closed the door and he leant up against in with a sigh. He turned his head towards the bedroom and then went to see how Lauren was.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. So…the news that Lauren and Joey are engaged hasn't gone down so well with everyone… Tanya's not to impressed with her daughter at the moment. I wonder what that's all about. Leave me a review back tomorrow x x x**


	143. Chapter 143

**Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Two **

The next day Lauren was heading back from the MinuteMart, she got back to the flat and saw two people standing on the steps. She frowned, wondering if they were the Police, wanting to question her on Jake's murder. She turned and escaped into the gardens, hiding behind a large hedge, peering round every so often to see if they were still there.

'What are you doing?' Tanya said coming up behind her, making her jump,

'Ssh!' Lauren hissed at her. 'There are people hanging around the flat. I think they might be Police' she told her mother. Tanya looked at the flat and she smiled, shaking her head.

'It's Jake's parents' Tanya peered around the hedge 'the sooner you see them the sooner they'll go' she told her.

Lauren licked her lips 'I can't. Jake said they hated me…whatever they're here for I can't…' Lauren said shaking her head.

'How about if I come with you?' Tanya asked her 'I'll be there right by your side' she told her.

Lauren looked at her 'You will?' she said surprised.

'Yes' she said nodding her head. 'Come on' Tanya lopped her arm through hers and they started walking towards the flat. 'Where's Joey?' she asked her

'He's gone into town to sort out the marriage license' she said to her mother.

'Have you got a date?'

'He's checking to see what they have' Lauren said sneaking a glance at her mother.

'Well, I guess we should start looking for a dress then, hey?' Tanya said to her

'What?' Lauren exclaimed, staring at her mother in surprise.

'We'll talk about it after we've dealt with Jake's parents' Tanya told her giving her hand a squeeze 'here goes' Tanya whispered. 'Mr. and Mrs. Stone' she said, the two of them turned round to look at them. 'What can we do for you?'

'Tanya, Lauren' Mrs. Stone said 'I thought perhaps we could talk?'

'Of course' Tanya said 'sweetheart, shall we go inside or do you want to go the Vic?' she asked her daughter.

'Inside' Lauren said quietly. The three of them stepped aside as Lauren unlocked the door.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren took her shopping into the kitchen, putting some of the groceries she'd got in the fridge and freezer, before she went back into the lounge. Tanya has seated everyone at the table. Lauren moved round to sit next to her mother.

'Aren't you going to offer us refreshments?' Mr. Stone asked Lauren as she sat down.

'No. You won't be staying here that long' Lauren said to them both 'what do you want?' she asked them abruptly.

'We're here to talk about the funeral' Mr. Stone said.

'Then you've had a wasted journey' Lauren said standing up and walking to the door and opening it. 'There's nothing to talk about. You can do what you like. I don't care and I won't be there' Lauren said to him.

Jake's mother looked at her and she tilted her head to one side 'you don't want to be at your own husband's funeral?' she frowned at her.

'No. I don't and he's not my husband anymore' she replied firmly. Tanya looked at her daughter and then back at Jake's parents.

'You can't mean that?' Mr. Stone said with a frown 'you were married for nineyears. You can't not attend his funeral, how is that going to look to people?' he asked her with a frown.

'To be honest I don't really care how it looks to people' Lauren told him 'Tell me, how does it look to people that your son was a bully? Or are you still protecting him?' she asked them both 'You've no idea what being married to that monster was like…and now, you're here asking me to pay my respects and bury him?' she shook her head as her eyes filled with tears.

'Sweetheart…' Tanya put her arm around her shoulders 'don't get upset' she soothed her daughter, 'you know it's not good for the baby' she whispered in her ear 'why don't you go to the bathroom and calm down a little bit?' she said.

Lauren nodded her head and slid out of the chair and walked through to the bedroom and then to the bathroom, closing the door behind her she sat down on the closed toilet seat and cried.

Tanya turned towards Jake's parents. 'I'm sorry, this is very hard for Lauren' she told them both.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey had a good day in town and he stopped off in the MinuteMart to get something for Lauren, and then also stopped on the market to get her some flowers. He was smiling and whistling to himself as he made his way up the stairs to the flat. He couldn't wait to tell Lauren the news. She would be thrilled. He hoped.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

'Lauren deliberately didn't sign the release papers for the body. She didn't want his personal effects…she wanted a divorce, to be free of him' Tanya told them both. 'I appreciate that you've lost a son but you've no idea how he treated my daughter, how he had her living in fear...how he kept her prisoner…' she trailed off. 'Mr. and Mrs. Stone. I cannot tell you how much I regret giving my permission for my daughter to marry your son…' she told them both. 'I saw what he did to Lauren…he could've killed her'

'Jake said Lauren made the accusations up' Mr. Stone said.

'Your son is a liar. In fact there are a few more things you need to know about your son' Joey said as he walked further into the flat, shutting the door behind him.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. Well surprise visitors for Lauren…Jake's parents. At least Tanya seems to be a bit more on her side now and oh…Joey's come home at just the right moment….I wonder what he is going to have to say to Mr and Mrs Stone? Back tomorrow. Leave me a review x **


	144. Chapter 144

**Chapter One Hundred and Forty Three**

'Who are you?' Mr. Stone asked him with a frown.

'Joey Branning' Joey said folding his arms over his chest. He looked at Tanya 'Where's Lauren?'

'She's in the bathroom' she told him 'she got a little upset. I'll go check on her'

'You do that' Joey said with a nod of his head. 'Can you take these into her?' he asked her handing her the flowers and the carrier bag. He waited until the bedroom door was closed before he walked over to the table and sat down in Tanya's vacated seat. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through it until he found what he was looking for. He put the phone down on the table and used two fingers to push it towards Jake's parents. 'Why don't you take a little look at your son's handiwork?' he suggested to them both. Jake's mother picked the phone up first and she started to look through the pictures.

'Oh my goodness' she said covering her mouth with her hand, handing the phone to her husband as the pictures got too much for her to look at. Mr. Stone took the phone and he looked through the remaining pictures, his face paled considerably as he got to the last few pictures.

'That was the last time he hit her' Joey said 'he beat her to a bloody pulp, beat her unconscious and when she woke up he started all over again' Joey told them both. 'So tell me, are you proud of your son? Are you proud of the man he became?' Joey frowned at them. Mr. Stone put the phone down and looked up at Joey.

'I had no idea things were this bad…' he said to Joey. 'Jake told us Lauren was accident prone. She certainly was when she was a little girl…used to be covered in cuts and bruises. I saw her fall out of a tree once. She bounced off the ground and I was sure she'd have several broken bones, but all she had were cuts and bruises' he said as he remembered. 'Jake told us she couldn't visit us because she'd injured herself…'

'Your son told you a pack of lies and you brought it. You're as responsible for this as he is' Joey frowned holding up his phone. 'Lauren doesn't want anything to do with the funeral… or with you for that matter' he told them both firmly 'I can't believe you have the audacity to come here and expect her to want anything to do with it' he looked down at his phone and exited out of the app he'd been using and stood up. 'She's starting a new life now. She doesn't need any reminders of her past and what he did to her'

Mrs. Stone looked at Joey 'we didn't know what he was doing' she told him 'he told us he wanted a divorce but Lauren refused…'

'Lauren was the one who wanted a divorce and every time she asked for one he told her over her dead body' Joey replied. 'She would've signed divorce papers in a heartbeat and waived any rights to his money…she just wanted out' he said to her. 'He threatened her recently, when she was sitting outside the hospital waiting for a bus to come home. He threatened her with a gun'

'He probably got that from the dodgy solicitor, Christie' Mrs. Stone hissed at her husband.

'My son had his faults, I'm not denying that…' Mr. Stone said directly to Joey.

'Faults? Is that what you'd call them?' he raised his eyebrows in surprise 'Are you serious? You still think she's making all this up? So she beat herself to a bloody pulp and then locked herself in the house so she couldn't go to the Police? And she decided not to call an ambulance because she thought she deserved it?' Joey sat back in his chair, suddenly very tired 'do you hit your wife?'

'Excuse me?'

'I said do you hit your wife?' Joey repeated, his cold angry eyes burning into Mr. Stones.

'No, of course not' he said shaking his head.

Joey turned his attention to Mrs. Stone 'Is he telling the truth?' he asked her 'Does he hit you?'

'No, he's never raised a hand to me' she said shaking her head, she reached out and grasped her husband's hand tightly in her own 'we have a good marriage. And he knows if he did it'd only happen once and I'd divorce him.' she told him. 'Joey? Is that your name?' she asked him. Joey nodded 'my husband and I had no idea Jake was doing these things to Lauren…we had no reason not to believe what he was telling us was the truth, we never saw Lauren' she told him softly. 'You clearly care about her…'

'I love her' Joey said matter-of-factly. 'And I'll do anything it takes to keep her safe, to protect her and no before you ask, I didn't kill your son and neither did Lauren' he said.

'Of course we didn't think that' Mr. Stone said with a frown.

'Not that you could blame Lauren if she had after everything she's been through' Joey added.

'I feel sick to my stomach that my son could do something like that…' Mr. Stone said to him. 'I apologise if us coming here has been upsetting for Lauren. That certainly wasn't our intention' he told him sincerely.

'I would've thought the fact she refused to have the body released to her would've given you the clue she wasn't interested in planning or even attending the funeral' Joey told them. 'All she wants to do is to move on with her life, forget about her past and focus on the future' he said to them both.

'The last time we saw Lauren was when she had the miscarriage…the poor little thing was so upset…' Mrs. Stone continued.

'That was more than seven years ago…you didn't think it was strange that you hadn't seen Lauren in all that time' Joey said, his eyes flaming with anger 'a miscarriage caused by your son'

'What?' Mrs. Stone looked at him in horror 'No…I don't believe it' she shook her head vehemently.

'He punched her in the face at the top of a flight of stairs, she fell down them…Jake never wanted to marry her, he never wanted children with her. He's told her on numerous occasions that she was nothing, she was pathetic and ugly and he was glad she lost the baby' Joey told them both. 'He hasn't been faithful to Lauren' Joey told them both 'he has a girlfriend the other side of London, in Bexley…a couple of kids too…if you want to have a loving family at your son's funeral you might want to ask them' he said 'and if you don't believe me look in his wallet, he carried pictures around' he said standing up. 'I think we're done here now, don't you?' Joey said to them both and he got up and walked to the door, opening it. 'I hope Lauren and I won't hear from you again' he said to them both.

The two of them got up and walked to the door as Lauren chose that moment to come out of the bedroom. She saw Joey standing there and her face lit up albeit briefly until she saw Jake's parents were still there. She faltered in the doorway. 'We're so sorry sweetheart' Mrs. Stone said 'we had no idea….' She trailed off 'I feel so ashamed…' she told Lauren. Lauren's hand brushed briefly over her stomach.

'Are you pregnant?' Mr. Stone asked her, recognising the action she'd just made.

'Yes' Lauren replied. 'And no it isn't Jake's' she told him.

Mr. Stone nodded his head and he looked at Joey briefly before turning to his wife 'We'd better be going, darling' he told her softly. She nodded her head in agreement. 'We're very sorry for any upset we've brought to you, Lauren' Mr. Stone said softly 'is this where you're living now?'

'Yes it is' Joey answered for her. Mr. Stone nodded his head in understanding and then he and his wife left. Joey closed the door behind him before turning to look at Lauren. 'Are you okay?' he asked her softly.

She nodded her head 'yes, I am now you're here' she told him as she crossed the room and moved into his arms. He kissed the top of her head gently, holding her tightly. Tanya watched from the bedroom doorway. She could see how much Joey loved her daughter, and how happier Lauren looked, happier than she'd ever been with Jake. She cleared her throat as she walked into the room.

'So, I believe there's a wedding we need to start planning?' she said casually as the two of them looked up at her.

**AN: Thank you for your reviews. Well what did you all thin of the chapter? Leave me a review back tomorrow xx **


	145. Chapter 145

**Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Four**

Lauren looked at Joey expectantly 'Did you get the marriage license?' she asked him.

'Yep' Joey said patting his jacket pocket. 'It's all sorted' he told her.

'Thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful' she said with a small smile as she reached up and gave him a soft kiss.

'You're welcome, did you look in the bag?' he asked her. She shook her head. 'You should've seen the look I got from Denise when I paid for them' he told her with a smile 'you should go take a look' he told her. Lauren looked at him curiously before she went back to the bedroom and returned with the bag. She sat down on the sofa and looked inside and saw he'd brought her some bridal magazines. 'I figured you needed to start having a look, see what kind of things you want for our wedding' he told her with a smile.

'Mum, look!' Lauren exclaimed as she flicked through the books.

'So how long have we got?' she looked up at Joey as she sat down next to her daughter.

'The registry office had a few dates but not for another three months' Joey said to her. 'I was going to ask Grandma Dot if she could speak to the Vicar for me, see if he has any dates earlier than that' Joey said.

'We can't afford a big wedding, Joey' Lauren told him 'A small ceremony at the registry office will be fine' she said softly.

'I disagree' Joey told her shaking his head 'you deserve the wedding of your dreams and I wouldn't be living up to your view of me as your very handsome white knight if I didn't give you what you deserve now would I?' he asked her, sitting on the coffee table in front of her, smiling but also looking deadly serious.

'No, I guess not' Lauren said, her cheeks flushing slightly.

'Well, then that's settled isn't it?' he asked her 'I'm going to go and see Grandma Dot and I want you and your mum to look through these and get some ideas for the type of dress you want so you can go shopping for it tomorrow' he told her. Lauren opened her mouth to protest, 'and I'm not taking no for an answer' he told her 'I'll be back as soon as I can' leaning forward and giving her a kiss.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

The next couple of days passed in a whirl for Lauren. Her mother had taken her shopping for a dress and after only trying on three, she found the prefect one. One that would hide her growing baby bump, but was also flattering and beautiful. She wasn't going to admit how much she liked it at first because £4000 seemed an awful lot of money to pay for a dress she was only going to wear once, but her mother insisted, saying she had the money to pay for it and before Lauren could protest, her mother had purchased the dress for her. And unbeknownst to Lauren a pair of matching shoes too.

Lauren was smiling when she got back to the flat. She put the dress in the wardrobe and went into the bathroom to have a shower. When she came out, wrapped in a towel, she discovered Joey was home.

'Good day shopping?' he asked her. Lauren beamed at him with a nod of her head.

'We found the perfect dress' she admitted to him 'Mum insisted on buying it and it's hanging in the wardrobe' she said talking a sit next to him 'how was your day?' she asked him.

Joey sighed 'Not as good as I'd hoped' he said 'Grandma Dot spoke to the Vicar and he told her he hasn't had any cancellations' he told her.

Lauren could feel her happy bubble deflating as she saw the look on Joey's face. 'Okay, tell me' she said softly.

'Well, after Dot told me what he'd said I went to see him, and he said he was very sympathetic to our cause and he was very sorry that you'd been through what you had, he agreed you should have the wedding that you dreamt off, a fresh start…There is a date he's free but the church is booked' Joey told her 'he said he couldn't do anything about that as it wouldn't be fair to other couple who'd booked in advance to have their wedding ceremony there' he told her.

'Oh' she said, she frowned and looked down at her hands, picking at her fingernails. 'Well, we can always try registry offices' she said to him with a shrug. 'It's no big deal' she said forcing a smile onto her face.

Joey continued talking 'so I asked him when the date was he was free and if we could book him and he said yes, but reminded me we'd have to find a suitable venue where he could hold the ceremony' he told her.

'So we have a vicar and a dress but no venue?' she asked him.

'Yes' he nodded in his head 'that's pretty much it. Dot suggested the Community Centre' Joey looked at her and saw her wrinkle up her face in disgust.

'That place smells like old people and cabbage' she told him.

'Well it's a good thing I came up with a more polite excuse as to why we couldn't be married there then wasn't it?' he asked her with a knowing smirk 'I'm not sure Grandma Dot would've taken too kindly to the cabbage and old people smell comment' he told her.

'So if we don't have the church and the community centre that doesn't leave with us with anything else other than a registry office and we don't need a vicar for that. They have qualified registrars there to carry out the ceremony' Lauren told him.

'Yes, that's true' he nodded his head in agreement. 'But, I spoke to some people at the Council and it turns out there is somewhere that's registered to be used to hold a wedding ceremony and it happens to be free on the exact same date the vicar is' he told her 'so I booked it' he told her.

'You booked it?' Lauren looked up at him in surprise. 'Without checking it with me first?' she frowned slightly.

'Mmhmm. It was too good an opportunity to turn down and besides someone else could've beaten us to it by the time I'd come back here and discussed it with you' he told her.

Lauren took a breath 'Okay, I guess, but if you've booked Walford Football stadium you and I are going to have a falling out before we've even get married' she told him firmly.

Joey laughed 'Do you think I'd dare book the football stadium?' he asked her 'I'm planning to get lucky on my wedding night not spend it arguing' he reminded her.

Lauren smiled at him 'Okay so where and when have you booked?' she asked him.

'I want where to be a surprise' he told her 'I promise you're going to love it, but I want to do something nice for you, surprise you' he said to her 'so the venue and the song you walk down the aisle to are my gifts to you' he told her, looking at her expectantly. 'You just have to trust me'

'You know I trust you' she said without hesitation.

'Good. So all you have to do is get yourself looking even more beautiful than you are now and leave everything else up to me' he told her 'can you do that?' he wondered if it was too much for him to ask.

'Yes' she nodded her head again without hesitation. Joey smiled at her and moved forward and kissed her.

'Thank you' he murmured against her lips. 'And we're getting married in two weeks' he told her. She squealed and threw her arms around his neck, almost causing them both to fall to the floor in the process. Joey chuckled against her neck. 'Glad you're happy with that' he told her softly.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

There was something else that Lauren needed to do, she hadn't spoken to Joey about it and she hoped he wouldn't be too upset with her if the result turned out the way she hoped it would. She licked her lips as she walked up to the door of number 23 Albert Square.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well isn't Joey such a romantic? And looks like Tanya is now on board with the wedding too! I wonder what Lauren's planning to do? Any guesses? Back tomorrow….leave me a review xx **


	146. Chapter 146

**Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Five**

Lauren let herself into number 23 and called out a hello as she shut the door behind her.

'Hello Lauren, darling' Derek said as he came down the stairs, 'what a lovely surprise' he said with a smile.

'I hope I'm not disturbing anything' she said to him, she caught sight of Derek's hand as he held on to the bannister when he rounded the bottom of the stairs and headed towards the kitchen. A small frown marred her features, but she followed him.

'No, no of course not' he said smiling at her over his shoulder. 'So what brings you over?' he asked her as he picked up the kettle and filled it with water from the tap.

'Is Alice in?' Lauren asked him.

'Nope, she's gone into town with a couple of her friends' Derek told her 'was it Alice you came to see?'

'No, actually it was you' Lauren told him with a smile.

'Well, I'll make the tea and then you and I can go into the lounge and you can tell me what's on your mind' Derek said with a smile.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren and Derek moved into the lounge and she sat on the sofa, pulling her feet up beside her as Derek sank down into his well-worn chair.

'So, what did you want to talk to me about?' he asked her reaching for his cup and holding in his hand. Her eyes fell to his knuckles again and she licked her lips.

'How did you hurt your hand?' she asked him quietly.

'I must have knocked it somewhere' he said with a shrug 'hazards of getting old, I guess' he smiled, taking a sip of coffee and then swapping the cup to his other hand. Lauren nodded her head.

'Jake's parents came to see me the other day' she told him 'they wanted to talk to me about the funeral arrangements' she said 'I've barely seen his parents since we got married. Jake told me they hated me and said they didn't want me to visit whenever he went home, turns out he was telling them I'd hurt myself, told them how accident prone I was. They were very apologetic when they left, said they had no reason not to believe anything Jake had told them and they understood why I wanted to play no part in planning the funeral, why I wouldn't be there' she said 'when I went to bed later that night, I lay there thinking about whether I'd make a mistake in not signing for his body. I thought about what I could do…like pour petrol over him and set him on fire, or weigh him down and dump him in the river…then I thought it was a pity we didn't live anywhere near any really deep ravines….' She trailed off thoughtfully 'Joey told me once he'd do anything he could to make me happy, to protect me and keep me safe. He even said he'd kill for me…after Jake was killed…I asked him if he did it. I wasn't going to go to the Police or anything like that' she said quickly, looking up at Derek, who was watching her intently. 'I just wanted to know. I told him it wouldn't change how I felt about him, nothing could change the way I feel about him'

'What did he say?' Derek asked her.

'He said no, he didn't' Lauren told him 'after that day outside the hospital, I made him promise me he wouldn't go after Jake, that if he saw him he'd just walk away and call the Police' she said 'I told him not to do anything stupid that could risk him being taken away from me, from our baby' she placed her hand on her stomach and smiled.

'I'm glad he followed your advice' Derek nodded his head.

'You know the Police still don't have leads, any suspects' she said to him.

'Oh?' Derek lifted his cup to his mouth and took a drink.

'No' Lauren shook her head 'they're keeping me updated with the progress of the case, but they said with each day that passes they're losing hope that'll they'll ever know who killed Jake. Which is a shame' she told him.

'Why's that?' Derek raised his eyebrows at her in surprise.

'Because I wanted to meet them. I wanted to look them in the eye and shake their hand and thank them' she said to him 'I told the Police as much too'

'You did? I bet that went down well' Derek said.

'Not really, they understood though' she said after a while. She leant forward and picked up her tea and she looked at Derek with a smile. 'But that's not what I came here to talk about it' she told him 'There was something else…Joey and I have got a date for the wedding' she told him

'You have? That's good news…well don't keep me in suspense' he beamed at her.

'It's in two weeks. Mum and I have already got the dress and mum's going to do my makeup and hair…I was hoping Alice would be a bridesmaid…'

'I'm sure she'd be thrilled to be' Derek said with a smile 'I can send her over to yours later when she gets back if you like. So you can ask her yourself?' he suggested.

'That'd be great, thanks' Lauren nodded her head. 'Joey has sorted the venue too and the vicar, but he won't tell me where we're getting married. He wants it to be a surprise, but he has promised me faithfully it's not the football stadium'

'I just hope he's telling you the truth about that' Derek laughed.

'So do I' Lauren nodded her head in agreement. 'Joey says he's going to sort out everything and that all I have to do is try to look even more beautiful than I already do and turn up. But there is something I need to sort out' she looked at Derek

'And what's that sweetheart?' he asked her.

'I need someone to give me away' she said.

Derek nodded his head 'well I'm sure if you asked Max he'd be happy to do it…maybe even Jack..' he said to her.

'Really?' Lauren asked him in surprise. 'I hadn't really thought about Max or Jack' she admitted to him 'I kind of have my heart set on someone else' she told him.

'I'm sure whoever it is would be honoured to walk you down the aisle' he told her.

'I was hoping you'd say that, because there's only one person I can envisage being escorted down the aisle by' she told him and smiled nervously, licking her lips, 'I probably should've spoken to Joey about it to be honest, but I'm sure I'd know what he'd say if I had and he'd be more than happy with my choice' she said with a small smile, 'I didn't even really need to think about it either, there's only one person who welcomed me into his home, his family and his heart from the first time we met. One person who showed me incredible kindness and support. Who has been so much more than just a friend, who's been more like a father to me' she paused again 'Derek? Would you please walk me down the aisle and give me away?' she asked him.

The smile that lit up Derek's face, took her breath away, so that's where Joey got it from, she thought to herself. He nodded his head and put his cup down, practically leaping off the chair, he pulled Lauren off the sofa and embraced her tightly.

'Darling, it'd be my pleasure' he told her happily. He pressed a kiss to her cheek 'A great pleasure' he whispered as his eyes filled with tears.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

They talked about the wedding and her pregnancy whilst they finished their coffee and then as Lauren was about to leave, she paused and then turned back to face him and held out her hand. Derek looked at it for a few seconds and he slid his hand into hers.

'Thank you' she said softly, staring deep into his eyes. Derek nodded his head once.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. What did you all think about this chapter? Leave me a review back tomorrow x **


	147. Chapter 147

**Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Six**

Joey hadn't been upset with Lauren asking his father to give her away, he knew they had a close relationship and he couldn't think of anyone more suitable for the task. Ricky was going to be his best man and the reception was going to be held at the club, free of charge thanks to Sharon and Jack.

Alice had agreed to be her bridesmaid and, as Derek predicted, she was over the moon about being asked.

The only thing they had left to sort out was catering. Joey wanted her to use the restaurant to cater for the wedding but Lauren wasn't happy about having chefs that were loyal to Jake preparing her wedding food. So instead, after a discussion with Joey she was heading over to see Ian and Lucy.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Lucy opened the door, surprised to see Lauren standing there. 'Hello' she said.

'Hi Lucy. Is Ian home?' she asked her.

'Yes, come on in' Lucy nodded her head and she led her into the house and through to the lounge. 'Dad, Lauren's here to see you' she announced. Ian was sitting at the kitchen table, looking at his laptop. Whitney was sitting on the sofa with a coffee.

'Lauren!' he looked up at her, 'sorry, I was just looking at potential spots to open a new restaurant' he told her.

'Well I might be able to save you the hassle' Lauren told him with a smile. 'May I sit down?'

'Of course' Ian said, Lauren pulled out a chair and sat down. Lauren licked her lips and she unzipped her bag and she pulled out a manila envelope and handed it to Ian. 'What's this?' he asked her.

'Open it and see' Lauren said to him.

Ian frowned but turned the envelope over, ripping the seal open and pulled the document out of the envelope, he felt there was something else in the bottom of the envelope and he tipped it out onto the table. A set of keys fell out. His frown grew. 'I don't understand' he told her. 'What is this?' he asked her again.

'It's the keys and the ownership papers for the restaurant' Lauren told him. 'Jake stole it from you and I'm giving it back to you'

'Aren't all Jakes assets in probate?' he asked her.

Lauren shook her head 'The restaurant is in my name. I didn't know it at the time. He must've got me to sign the papers for tax purposes or something but I'm the legal owner of the restaurant and I know nothing about running a restaurant. You do, so I'd like to sign the ownership over to you' Lauren said. 'Max's solicitors drew the papers up and all you have to do is sign them' Lauren looked at him hopefully producing a pen from her bag and holding it out to him expectantly.

'Let me get this straight. You want me to buy the restaurant back from you?' Ian asked her 'The one that your husband stole from me in the first place' he frowned her.

'Just look at the contract' Lauren said to him.

Ian sighed loudly but did as she asked. 'A pound?' he asked her.

'Yes' Lauren nodded her head

'You want me to pay you a pound?'

'I don't want you to pay me a pound but Max's solicitor said I couldn't just give you the restaurant, which is obviously what I want to do, but he said if I wanted to I could sell it to you for a pound' she looked at him expectantly.

'A pound?' Ian said again.

'Dad pay her the pound' Lucy said nudging his shoulder.

'I don't think I have a pound' Ian said

'Here' Lucy pulled one out of her pocket and handed it to him. 'Well, go on, give it to her then' she urged him.

Ian looked at it and then he handed it to Lauren 'thank you' she said with a smile 'now if you can sign the papers and then I'll sign them and Whitney can witness us signing and then the restaurant is all yours' she told him softly.

Ian nodded his head signed the papers. When the three of them had signed Lauren beamed at him. 'Thank you' she said. 'Now that you have the restaurant back, I'd like to book you for catering my wedding, is it okay if I just pay a pound deposit?' she asked him, putting the pound coin back on the table. 'It's in two week's time and we're having the reception at R&amp;R'

'You're getting married?' Ian asked her, looking up at her in surprise.

'Mmhmm' she nodded her head. 'I've been seeing someone for a while actually' Lauren told them both. 'We haven't really made things official yet…our families know but no one else.'

'Is it Joey?' Ian asked her and Lauren smiled, blushing and nodding her head. She glanced at Lucy and saw her face fall slightly. 'I knew it' he told her with a smile 'well congratulations' he said kissing her cheek. 'So what kind of food do you want?' he asked her.

'Hot and cold canapes, finger foods you know that sort of thing' she said 'Derek is paying' she explained. 'Joey will be in touch with a few more details' she told him. 'If you're taking the job?' she asked him.

'Of course I'll take the job' he told her with a smile.

'Well I'd better make a move. Joey wants to talk about honeymoon destinations' she told him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lucy walked her back to the door, Lauren stepped outside and she turned to look at Lucy. 'The baby's Joey's too isn't it?' she asked her.

'Yes' Lauren nodded her head 'it is'

Lucy took a deep breath 'congratulations' she told her.

'Thank you' Lauren replied with a smile 'I'll see you later, Lucy' she said.

'Yeah. See ya' Lucy replied. She watched Lauren leave and then she closed the door and leant up against it, feeling her eyes sting with tears. She knew she never really stood a chance with Joey, no matter how much she hoped she did. Didn't mean that knowing he'd found love with someone else didn't hurt. It did. What made it worse was that she actually like Lauren…a lot. Especially after what she'd just done for her father, for her family.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. A couple of you seem to have worked out who killed Jake and yes you were right. Well done you! Everyone else might need to reread the last chapter again and then you'll realise who killed Jake. I think it was very nice of Lauren to given the restaurant back to Ian albeit for a £1:00. And poor Lucy, can't help feeling sorry for her at the end! Leave me a review. Back tomorrow.**


	148. Chapter 148

**Chapter One Hundred and Forty-seven**

That night Joey and Lauren were going to have a quiet dinner in the Vic. Joey had gone straight there after his afternoon/early evening shift at the club and Lauren was going to meet him there. She was running a little late. Joey seated himself at a table after purchasing a couple of drinks for them both and he waited.

Lauren arrived fifteen minutes late, she walked in and looked around the pub and spotted Joey, the smile that lit up her face when she saw him, took his breath away. She crossed the bar and sat down beside him. 'I'm sorry I'm late' she said softly.

'You're not that late' he told her with a smile. 'I got you an Appletise, is that okay?' he asked her and she nodded her head.

'Yes, thank you' she said reaching for the glass and taking a drink. Joey handed her the food menu and she looked at it. 'I fancy garlic bread with cheese and spaghetti bolognese' she told him.

'Sounds good, I'll have that too' he smiled. 'So you were late because?' he looked at her expectantly.

She reached into her handbag and pulled out an envelope, handing it to him. 'This was delivered today by courier' she told him.

'What is it?' he frowned taking the envelope from her.

'Open it and see' she said to him, he looked at her and he could see the excitement in her eyes. Joey opened the envelope and pulled out a thick wad of folded paper and he undid it. He saw a bankers draft for £500,000, Lauren smiled as she saw his eyes widen. He looked at the letter, moving to the end to see who it was from, his eye widened more when he saw it was from Mr. and Mrs. Stone.

'Read it' she said rolling her eyes at him.

"_**Dear Lauren. **_

_**When we came to see you we weren't aware of appalling way our son treated you throughout your marriage to him. We have since discovered he does indeed have a fiancée and three children in Bexley, which Eleanor and myself knew nothing about. It would also appear that she knew nothing about you. Jake was very different with her than he was to you and it was clear that she and her family wanted for nothing, whilst you were forced to go without. **_

_**We realise that perhaps if we knew the torment and suffering you were being subjected to, we would've stepped in and tried in some way to give you a better quality of life... We hate to think what lies our son has told you about us, but we both wish to reassure you that we loved you from the moment we met you…and we are both profoundly sorry for everything Jake put you through. **_

_**We're so terribly ashamed that one human being can cause so much pain and suffering to another and we're both glad you somehow found your strength and courage and reported him to the Police. We are even more glad that you are now free to live your life the way you should've been allowed to in the first place. **_

_**Eleanor and I did not intend to cause you any further upset when we came to visit you and we sincerely apologise once again. **_

_**We give you our warmest wishes for the future, and we hope the enclosed will help you with your new life and with your new family.**_

_**William and Eleanor Stone. "**_

Joey refolded the letter and put it back in the envelope and he looked at her, 'I'm feeling a little bit guilty for the way I spoke to them both now' Joey said to her, as he handed her back the envelope. 'Are you going to keep the money?' he asked her.

'Yes' she nodded her head and then she frowned 'do you think I shouldn't?' she asked him.

Joey looked at her 'I think you deserve it' he told her 'after everything you've been through, after everything he took from you. It's the least you deserve' he said. 'So what are you going to do with it?' he asked her.

'I was thinking about putting it in the bank' she told him, he rolled his eyes at her obvious answer. 'I was also thinking maybe we should open a joint account put some of the money in there' Lauren said to him softly, unsure of what his response would be.

'Are you sure?' he asked her. 'Babe, you don't have to…you could just put the money in your name' he told her softly. 'Have two bank cards…' he suggested.

'I thought about that too' Lauren admitted to him 'but you're nothing like Jake and I don't want to start our life together in the same way I started mine with him' she said softly. 'So…I want to open a joint account with you' she told him

'Are you sure?' Joey checked with her again just to make sure she wasn't doing this because she thought she needed to.

'Yes' she nodded her head 'and we should think about moving…I mean once the baby comes it's going to be hard living in a flat…' she said carefully.

'I was thinking that too' he nodded his head 'For one thing we only have one bedroom…and the stairs…it's going to be hard getting a buggy up and down them' he told her 'how about we go into town tomorrow and we can have a look at places? Open the joint account then?'

Lauren nodded her head and smiled 'I think that's a great idea' she told him 'and we can start buying things we need for the baby'

'Maybe your mum would like to come along too?' he suggested to her.

'She can help carry the bags' Lauren grinned at him.

'That's not what I meant' Joey told her with a small laugh, shaking his head.

'I know that' Lauren replied with a giggle.

Joey rolled his eyes 'I'm going to order the food' he said picking up the menus and standing up.

'Joey' she grabbed his hand and he turned to look at her. 'I love you' she whispered softly.

Joey's smile lit up his entire face 'I love you too, kitten' he told her and leant forward for a kiss, Lauren blushed as she kissed him in the pub, the first time they'd kissed in a public place in view of other people. A few of the regular patrons stared openly, other's just whispered and looked away.

'I'll get the food' he told her again and she smiled at him as he left the table to go to the bar.

She knew life with Joey was going to be so very much different from her life with Jake. Even though the wedding was only two weeks away. She couldn't wait to start her life as Mrs. Joey Branning.

**AN: Thanks for your review. For those of you still questioning. Derek killed Jake. And the only two people who know about it are Lauren and Derek. So the next chapter is a time jump…we're coming up to the wedding. Back tomorrow. Leave me a review x **


	149. Chapter 149

**Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Eight**

Joey had gone to stay with his father and Uncle Max at 23 Albert Square the night before the wedding. Joey had also reluctantly gone on a stag do in R&amp;R, mainly because his best man, Ricky had arranged it with his uncles Max and Jack, without asking if Joey wanted to have a stag do or not.

Lauren told him he needed to go, let his uncles and dad have a bit of fun, after all, they probably assumed that Joey wasn't ever to going to get married and settled down and would end up with syphilis or some other sexually transmitted disease due to his promiscuity, and besides, he wasn't ever going to have the chance to have a stag do again and Lauren wanted him to have everything he wanted…even though Joey had told her all he wanted to do as to spend the night at home with her.

Sharon had wanted to throw a hen party for Lauren, but Lauren declined, using the excuse that the only four females she really knew in the square were her, her mum and Alice and Lucy, pointing out it wouldn't really be much of a hen party. So they instead settled for a night in at the flat she shared with Joey, where they ordered several takeaways and had a few bottles of wine and they watched Magic Mike on DVD. Then the four of them were going to have a sleepover at the flat so they could all help Lauren get ready in the morning.

Sharon had made Jack promise he wouldn't let Joey get so far off his head on drink that he wouldn't know who he was or what day of the week it was the following morning. And Jack, slightly afraid of repercussions from both Sharon and Tanya if he were to let that happen, agreed.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Their wedding day came and Joey was calm and collected and not nervous at all. He was also stone cold sober and didn't have a hangover, unlike his Uncle Jack, who was feeling more than a little bit rough. Lauren had a shower and then dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt while Tanya and Sharon fixed breakfast for the four of them. Lauren took hers into the bedroom to have some peace and quiet and to try and soothe her building nerves.

Joey had also decided to get some quiet time so had headed over to his dad's house and was sitting by himself on a chair in the back yard. He hoped Lauren was feeling okay and that she wasn't too anxious about today, he wondered what her dress would look like. Whatever she wore she'd be beautiful, he knew that already he thought as he smiled to himself. There were four hours to go until the ceremony started. Joey couldn't wait to marry Lauren.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Hair and make-up had been done, all Lauren had to do now was put on the dress and shoes and she was good to go….once Derek arrived that was.

Sharon and Tanya were going to be driven to the wedding by Max, who was also taking Joey, Jack and Ricky. Lauren slid the dress on and then put on her shoes. She called Tanya in to help her fasten the dress and when she was done she turned to look at her mother. 'How do I look?' she asked her.

'Sweetheart, you look like a princess' she replied. 'Are you ready?' she asked her.

Lauren licked her lips and she nodded her head 'I think so' she replied.

Tanya frowned 'Are you having second thoughts, sweetheart?' she asked her 'about Joey?'

'No' Lauren shook her head quickly 'not about Joey' she replied 'I have no idea where the wedding is going to be or what Joey has arranged and I'm a little bit worried about what he has planned…I'm not saying I don't trust him, I do…and I get this is his first wedding, but it isn't mine…what if people think I'm going over the top…I mean I have been married before'

'No one is going to be thinking that, Lauren' Tanya told her 'and if they do and if they voice their thoughts then they're going to have to answer to me' she looked at her daughter 'and Joey, and Max, Jack, Derek, Alice, Sharon and….'

'Okay, okay I get the picture' Lauren said with a small smile. She took a deep breath and looked at her mother 'do you…do you still think I'm making a mistake?' she asked her quietly. Tanya could see the worry in her daughter eyes and she knew all it would take would be one word from her and Lauren would most likely call the wedding off.

'If you'd asked me that when you were marrying Jake I would've said yes' she told her daughter softly. 'You were so young…and looking back on it now…I really wished you'd asked...'

'Why didn't you say anything?' Lauren asked her

'I asked you if you were happy and if this is what you wanted and you said yes' Tanya said to her 'I didn't want to ruin your happiness' she told her softly. 'In hindsight there were probably other questions I should've been asking you, other things I should've been telling you instead' Tanya said to her as Lauren sat down on the bed.

'Like what?' Lauren frowned.

'Like…' Tanya put down the brush she was holding and she walked over to the bed and sat down beside her daughter. 'Like just because you're pregnant doesn't mean that you have to get married' Tanya said to her 'Maybe I should've told you to wait another couple of years and then see how you feel…maybe I should've really talked to you about things, your relationship with Jake. I should've made an effort to see you more… I should've realised something was wrong when I saw you in the hospital after the miscarriage' she frowned 'there are so many things I could…should've done differently' Tanya told her daughter. 'I should've asked you if you loved him' Tanya took a deep breath 'did you love Jake when you married him?'

'No' Lauren shook her head. 'I didn't' she admitted.

'Do you love Joey?'

'Yes' Lauren nodded her head and smile crossed her face 'I love him so much, mum'

'And he clearly loves you, anyone can see that' Tanya said, she paused slightly, studying her daughter's face. 'Are you marrying Joey because you're pregnant?' she asked her.

'Yes and no' Lauren said 'we both want to be married before the baby is born' she told her mother 'and we've been together for a year now. We both know how we feel about each other, things between us just keep getting better and better and growing stronger and I can't imagine anyone else in my life…Joey's the one, mum'

Tanya smiled and nodded her head 'and the sex?'

Lauren blushed and then grinned 'sex with Joey is …incredible…I love sex with Joey, he's so considerate and caring and he's shown me so many things…we've done things I never ever thought I would do….'

'That's probably more than a mother wants to know' Tanya said with a faint blush.

'Sorry, you asked the question' Lauren giggled at her mother's expression.

'So that leaves one more question for me to ask you, are you ready to marry Joey?'

'Yes' Lauren nodded her head.

'Will, in that case we'd better get a move on then hadn't we?' she asked her daughter with a smile. The two of them stood up and Tanya pulled her into her arms, careful of her hair and her makeup 'and no, I don't think you're making a mistake, Joey is a wonderful man and he's going to make you very, very happy'

'He already does' Lauren whispered.

Tanya smiled and let Lauren go and then looked at her 'you're so beautiful, darling' she whispered. 'It's time for you to go and get married' she said.

'Okay' Lauren grinned at her.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews…. Well the wedding is coming! I wonder what Joey has planned. And such a lovely chat with Lauren and her mum **** Double checking that this time Lauren was sure she wanted to marry Joey. Next chapter will be posted tomorrow. Leave me a review. xx**

For Lauren's wedding dress and shoes and bouquet (red rose one)….look here:-

. /wedding-dresses/madeline-gardner/37019/

. /wedding-shoes/highheelivorysatinweddingshoes/diane-hassall-heartbeat/

2014/07/bridal-bouquets-with-swarovski-crystals/


	150. Chapter 150

**Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Nine **

Alice helped Lauren out of the flat and down to the car, there were a few people out in the square hoping for a glimpse of the bride to be, much to Lauren's surprise. Alice opened the car door for her and Lauren was about to get in when she heard someone call her name, she turned and she saw Lucy behind her.

'You look stunning, Lauren' Lucy told her with a smile.

'Thank you' Lauren blushed faintly at the compliment.

'I hope you don't think this is inappropriate or anything but I got you something' she said to her with a worried frown, she pulled a tiara out of a bag and held it out to her 'I don't know if you've got the something borrowed, something blue…but in case you didn't…you can borrow this. It's got a blue crystal in the middle of it and it belonged to my grandmother, so it old, blue and borrowed' Lucy said.

'Thanks Lucy' Lauren took it from her to look at it 'It's so pretty' she told her 'and I don't have anything, blue or old' she told her 'Something new is my dress and something borrowed is Derek' Lauren told her and then she frowned 'will that work?'

Lucy nodded, taking the tiara from her and carefully placing it on top of her head, sliding it gently into her hair. 'Yes, that will work' Lucy nodded her head. 'There! Perfect' she smiled.

'Thank you…you are coming to the reception aren't you?' Lauren asked her.

'Yes' Lucy nodded her head 'I'll see you there. You'd better go you don't want to keep Joey waiting.' Lauren got into the car and Alice and Derek got in beside her.

Tyler started the car and they pulled away from the flat.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren was getting nervous now as the car took her through the streets she knew so well. She wondered where Tyler as taking her, he obviously knew where she was getting married, she turned to look at Derek.

'Do you know where we're going?' she asked him.

'Yes, darling I do' he nodded his head with a small secretive smile 'Let's just say it's not going to be what you're expecting but Joey assures me you're going to love it' he told her. 'We'll be there in about 15 minutes' he told her.

'Okay' she nodded her head.

'You feeling okay?' he asked her softly. Lauren held up her hand and he could see it was shaking. He smiled and he took her hand in his much larger one. 'You have nothing to be worried about. If I know Joey he's probably been there waiting for you for the last hour! Making sure all the finishing touches are in place' he told her softly.

'Have you seen him today?' Lauren asked him.

Derek squeezed her hand gently 'I have and he's so excited…like a little boy at Christmas' he told her 'he came back to mine last night and we stayed up talking until about 2:00am' he said 'he couldn't stop talking about you, or the baby' Derek said with a smile 'he's so in love with you. I never thought the day would come when I'd see him meet a girl and fall in love, want to settle down and start a family' he admitted to her 'I don't think I could've picked a better girl than the one he's picked for himself either' he said with a smile.

'Thank you' Lauren replied, her cheeks reddening slightly.

'Ah there we go, the blushing bride' Alice giggled next to her. 'I'm with dad, I'm glad Joey picked you' she told her friend. 'Now I have a sister too'

'And I have a sister I always wanted and a large family' Lauren said with a smile.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren looked out of the window of the car as it pulled up at the edge of a woods. She frowned and she turned to look at Derek and then Alice. 'Here?' she asked them both.

'Yes' Derek said as Tyler got out of the car and opened the door for Derek and then walked round to the other side to open the door for Alice and help her out of the car. She smiled and straightened her dress and turned to look at Lauren as she got out of the car.

'The common?' Lauren said, feeling a little bit worried. 'What if it rains….and my shoes…' she said with a slight frown.

'Relax sweetheart, the weather is supposed to be sunny, and your shoes are fine' Derek said to her and he held his arm out to her 'and Joey said you two getting married here would mean something to you. He wouldn't elaborate on what it was though' Derek added with a frown. Lauren nodded her head and smiled.

'It does. This is where Joey took me to have a picnic.' She told him 'I'd never been on a picnic before and Joey made sure he packed all my favourite foods…' she trailed off as she remembered. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she remembered what else they'd got up to after the picnic.

'Are you ready?' Derek asked her.

She nodded her head and she slipped her arm into his and they started to walk. They only had to walk a small distance and then Lauren saw a red carpet that had been laid down over the ground. Derek led her onto the red carpet, they took three steps and she heard music start to play. She recognised it immediately as Bruno Mars, Just The Way You Are. She smiled at Joey's song choice, he really was a romantic at heart. It's one of the reasons she fell in love with him in the first place.

They turned a corner, around a large tree that had a thick red ribbon tied around it. A tree that Lauren remembered very well. Her cheeks grew red again as she caught Uncle Jacks eyes and he winked at her and nodded towards the tree raising his eyebrows at her. She averted her gaze rom Jack and then Lauren could see Joey standing at their picnic site waiting for her. There was a floral arch at the end of the red carpet where they were going to get married, she took a deep breath as she walked towards her future husband. All her attention was now focused on him, she couldn't see the guests or anything else, just Joey. He had a smile on his face from ear to ear as she walked towards him. She was beautiful, the dress was beautiful. She looked so happy, and she was perfect just the way she was, even if she didn't see it herself. It was one of the reasons he'd picked that particular song if he was being honest.

She reached his side and he winked at her 'you're late, kitten' he murmured softly.

'Brides are supposed to be late' she replied shyly.

'You look stunning' he told her as he took her hand that was offered to him by Derek.

'So do you' she replied. 'I love the song choice and the venue…It's perfect' she reached up and kissed him softly 'thank you'

'You're welcome' he smiled, squeezing her hand. 'Did you see the tree?' he asked her with a grin. Lauren giggled nodding her head.

'Yes I saw the tree' she told him blushing once more.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

The ceremony was over before she knew it and then the vicar told Joey he could kiss his bride. She turned to face him and looked up at him expectantly. Joey smiled at her, cupping her face in one hand and drawing her towards him. The kiss was soft and slow and intense, when the kiss ended they were both a little breathless, he pressed his forehead against hers. Their guests applauded and cheered loudly.

'I love you Mrs. Branning' he whispered.

'I love you too, Mr. Branning' she replied softly, tears filling her eyes. Joey brushed one that had escaped away with his thumb and kissed the tip of her nose.

'We have to have pictures taken, so you need to stop crying' he whispered with a smile, brushing another tear away.

An hour and a half later the pictures had all been taken and the guests were on their way to the reception, Lauren and Joey stayed behind to have another couple more pictures taken of just the two of them and then were in the car heading to the reception.

Tyler drove them back, smiling when he heard and saw then them kissing in the rear view mirror. He drove round the block a couple of times to give them some more time alone, before they had to meet and greet their guests.

'Are you ready, kitten?' Joey asked her as they stood hand in hand outside the club.

'Yes' she nodded her head 'I'm ready' she smiled.

'Come on then' he said leading her inside.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. So the chapter you've all be waiting for the wedding! What did you think of Joey's choice of venue and the song? I think Uncle Jack recognised the venue and the tree all too well! I wonder what the reception and wedding night will have in store? The next chapter will be up tomorrow leave me a review x x **


	151. Chapter 151

**Chapter One Hundred and Fifty**

The wedding reception was in full swing, speeches had been given and gifts had been bestowed on the bridesmaid, the best man and the mother of the bride. Breaking tradition, Lauren had also brought a gift for the father of the bride as a thank you from her for giving her away.

Now was the time for their first dance together as husband and wife. Lauren was slightly worried about what song Joey had chosen as they didn't really have a song. She saw the smirk on his face as he led her onto the dance floor and took a deep breath, waiting for the music to start. He pulled her into his arms as the first few bars of Sex on Fire by Kings Of Leon began. She giggled and slapped his shoulder 'Joey!' she scolded him as their guests erupted into laughter and spontaneous applause which made her face turn red so she buried it in his shoulder. The song stopped a few seconds later as Joey laughed with her and another one came on. This time it was Can't Take My Eyes Off You, by Muse, a much better song choice for their first dance. She smiled as she pulled away from him and wrapped her arms around his neck. 'Thank you' she whispered, looking into her new husband's eyes 'for today…for everything, it's perfect' she told him.

'You're perfect' he said softly 'I love you so much, Lauren, you know that don't you?'

'Yes' she nodded her head 'I do' she whispered 'and I love you too, you know that right?'

It was Joey's turn to nod his head 'I do' he replied, drawing his new bride into a kiss.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

At 11:00pm, Joey and Lauren snuck out of their reception, they were going to go to Spain for a week for their honeymoon but they were spending the night at home in their flat before they left. Both of them thought it would be too tiring for Lauren to travel straight away. Joey smiled as he led her back to the flat, unlocking the door Lauren moved to step inside but he stopped her.

'I believe it's tradition for the groom to carry his bride over the threshold' he told her as he bent down and carefully picked her up. Lauren giggled, laying her head on his shoulder as her romantic husband carried her inside the flat, he kicked the door shut with his foot and carried her through to the bedroom, pausing to let her flick on the light, he gasped when he saw the bedroom and the bed.

'What is it?' she asked him, looking at his face as he set her gently down on her feet. She turned to look at the bedroom and the bed. Someone had been here whilst they'd been at the reception and had "decorated" their room. There were streamers hanging from every possible piece of tall furniture in the room and the floor and bed were strewn with balloons. After closer inspection they both realised the "balloons" were in fact blown up condoms.

They were several pictures hanging on the wall, Lauren stepped closer to the wall to get a better look. They were sketches from the Karma Sutra. Joey watched as she made her way around the room, worrying about what her reaction was going to be. He was going to kill Ricky and his Uncle Jack. She paused at one picture and studied it hard, her head tilting one way and then the next, 'We've done that' she said matter-of-factly and she slowly turned to look at him, a small smile playing on her lips.

'Actually we've done a few of them' Joey said glancing round at the pictures that adjourned the walls. 'I'm really sorry about this. It must have been Ricky and Jack' he said voicing his earlier thoughts.

'It's fine, Joey' she said with a smile 'it's kind of funny'

'You might not think that way when you realise what they've done to the bed' he said to her. She looked at him with a small frown on her face. She slowly turned to look at the bed. The bed had been wrapped up in cling film, whoever had done this had been very thorough and it'd clearly taken them a lot of time and effort. Lauren smiled and walked over to the bed and tried to find the end so she could start unravelling it. Joey moved to stand beside her and they tried to pull the cling film off the bed but it was wound around it too tightly. 'Well they've been very thorough' she giggled. Joey went to the kitchen, returning moments later with a knife and started to try to cut through the layers. 'Careful, you don't want to cut the sheets' Lauren warned him as he started to vigorously hack at the cling film.

***JB*JB*JB*JB**

After half an hour of slicing and hacking Joey had made good progress and had cut down to the sheets and he was now peeling the cling film off the bed in great wads. Lauren giggled at his exuberance. Another fifteen minutes later and the bed was uncovered.

'Finally' he muttered under his breath, he turned towards Lauren and smiled as she moved into his arms. 'Are you too tired, kitten'' he asked her as she yawned.

'No' she shook her head and he turned around 'help me out of the dress?' she asked him as she turned around in his arms.

'Wow, there are a lot of buttons on this thing. It's going to take me just as long to get this undone as it took me to unwrap the bed' he teased her softly.

'Shut up and get started' she laughed.

Joey's quick and nimble fingers soon had the buttons undone and he stood up, moving forward and kissing the nape of her neck making her shiver with desire. His fingers moved to her hair and he gently unpinned her hair and it fell around her shoulders in ringlets, he turned her around and he gently lowered the dress from her body until she stood in front of him in her underwear and shoes. He held her hands as he helped her step out of the dress and then picked it up and draped it carefully over the chair. He turned back towards her, picking her up again and laying her down on the bed, he untied her shoes slipping them off her feet and placing them carefully on the floor before he started to strip off his own clothes. Lauren watched him strip until he was naked and then he crawled over her on the bed.

'Joey…' she said gesturing at the ceiling.

'What else have they done?' he growled and he moved onto his back and peered upwards. A large mirror had been stuck to the ceiling. 'I'm going to kill them' he groaned, 'I'm so sorry' he turned to look at Lauren who was holding her hand over her mouth trying not to laugh 'It's not funny!' he told her, his lips quirking in a smile.

'It is' she insisted 'we haven't had sex with a mirror over the bed before' she said looking back up at the ceiling.

'True, we haven't' he said with a smile 'well, I guess that's another thing we can cross off the list' he told her grinning broadly at her. 'Speaking of firsts….' He said moving over her to look down at her. 'There's a couple of positions on the wall we haven't tried' he nodded his head towards a couple over the top of the bed. Lauren frowned and tilted her head so she could look. Joey bent his head and kissed along her collar bone, and up the side of her neck, 'what do you think, kitten. Do you want to try?' he asked her.

Lauren smiled at him 'I'll do anything for you and with you' she replied softly, meeting his gaze.

Joey grinned at her 'I was hoping you'd say that' he murmured as he bent his head to kiss her.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews **** I am so glad you are all enjoying TBB. So pranksters have been at work at the flat whilst Lauren and Joey have been enjoying their reception…Jack and Ricky have been naughty boys! What did you all think if the song choices for the first dances? Next chapter tomorrow. A continuation of the wedding night! Leave me a review xx **


	152. Chapter 152

**Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-One**

Lauren gasped as the pillows Joey had put under her hips meant he sank deeper inside her. 'Joey….' she moaned as he encouraged her to loop her leg around his waist.

'You feel so good, babe' he murmured softly as she whimpered beneath him, he bent his head and kissed her deeply, his hands pressing hers back into the pillows as he increased speed. Lauren broke the kiss with a groan.

'Joey…..OH GOD JOEY!' she cried out as she felt her nerve endings exploding one by one throughout her entire body. Her fingers tightened on his and she felt him pulsing inside her. Lauren closed her eyes as she rode wave after wave of her orgasm with Joey.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Later they were still both breathing heavily, lying on their backs, Joey watched his wife in the mirror, seeing her open her eyes and reach for the duvet that was now lying on the bedroom floor.

'Don't' Joey whispered softly 'you're beautiful' he told her softly 'you don't need to cover up, it's just the two of us in here' he reminded her. His hand settled on her slightly rounded belly. 'Well, two and half really' he said with a smile.

'Do you want a boy or a girl?' she asked him.

'I don't mind, as long as he or she is healthy' he told her.

Lauren frowned slightly 'so if the baby was ill, or disabled you wouldn't want us to keep him or her?' she asked him.

'That's not what I meant' Joey said to her 'this baby is not going to want for anything. If the baby is ill or disabled then I'll love them even more' he told her softly 'be an even better father' he looked at her hoping his answer would make her happy. 'Do you want a girl or a boy?' he asked her.

'I'm not sure' she said to him honestly 'I haven't really let myself dare think about it since the scare' she admitted to him.

'You and the baby are doing fine now' he reminded her softly 'you remember what the doctors at the hospital said, there's nothing to worry about as long as you take things easy' he told her. She nodded her head with a smile. 'So that's what we'll be doing on our honeymoon' he said to her.

'I still have to pack…'

'Already done' Joey told her with a smile 'packed and in the car ready for us to go to the airport'

'You packed for me?'

'Mmhmm' he nodded his head and she rolled over to look at him.

'Please tell me you have actually packed me some clothes to wear' she said resting her arms on his chest and placing her chin on her hands.

'Well, that just depends on whether or not underwear and bikini's count as clothes' he said straight faced.

'Joey! You better have packed more than that' she exclaimed.

'You'll just have to trust me and wait and see won't you' he teased her. 'I didn't let you down over the wedding did I' he asked her.

'No, you didn't' she said shaking her head with a smile. 'It was perfect' she told him. 'And the song we danced to was too'

'Sex on Fire?' he asked her with a laugh.

'Well that was a pretty good song too' she told him with a smile…'In fact' she moved forward and kissed him softly 'talking about sex...' she raised her eyebrows suggestively.

'I like the way you think Mrs. Branning' Joey smiled at her, rolling them so she was beneath him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB* **

Lauren and Joey arrived back from their honeymoon a week later, in the early hours of the morning. Lauren was asleep in the car, it had been a rough flight back, plenty of turbulence and Lauren's stomach hadn't faired well as a result. In fact she hadn't been feeling better until they'd got back onto solid ground. Joey didn't have the heart to wake her now. He ran to the doors of the flat and unlocked them both before going back to the car. He lifted her out carefully and carried her into the flat, managing to lay her down on the bed without waking her. He took off her shoes and coat and then pulled the duvet over her, bending to kiss her forehead before heading out to bring in their cases. Once he was done, he locked up the car and the flat and then proceeded to unpack their bags also getting their washing ready to be taken to the launderette in the morning. He then put the cases back on top of the wardrobe and put the presents they'd brought for everyone on the table in the dining room. It was nearly an hour and a half later when he got into bed beside Lauren.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews… well it looks as though the two of them enjoyed their wedding night (eventually) and the honeymoon. What's next for the young couple? Read on to find out. Back tomorrow leave me a review xx **


	153. Chapter 153

**Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Two**

Three months later, Jack watched from the bar where he stood with Joey as an obviously pregnant Lauren walked in. She walked to the bar and ordered an orange juice and a packet of crisps and looked around for a table. Joey caught her eye and Jack saw a huge smile spread across her face. She walked over to them both.

'Hi Jack' she said with a smile.

'Hello darling, how are you feeling?' Jack asked her.

'Good' she said with a smile 'the morning sickness has finally stopped, but it's been replaced by cravings…Joey was out at 2:30 this morning looking for some pickled onions and tomato sauce, because we'd run out' she told him with a sheepish smile.

'_**We **_ran out?' Joey raised his eyebrows at her incredulously.

'Mmhmm. This is your baby too remember?' Lauren replied. 'And I don't even like pickled onions…but apparently_** your**_ baby does so…' she trailed off and looked at him pointedly.

'Okay, you're right, we ran out of pickles onions and tomato sauce' Joey nodded his head.

'Have far did you have to go to get them?'

'Only as far as dad's' Joey said with a smile 'he has a supply too in case of emergencies' Joey explained to him.

'Oh I see' Jack nodded his head 'shall we sit down?'

'Please' Lauren nodded her head, following Jack as he led them to a table.

'Please tell me this isn't your lunch' Joey looked at her crisps.

'I only had enough money on me for a drink and crisps' she said to him batting her eyelashes at him.

'I'll get some menus from the bar' Joey rolled his eyes.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Later that afternoon, Lauren was sitting at home packing up the last of their things ready to be moved into the house next door to Derek's. She was under strict instructions not to lift anything at all and to wait until Joey came home. The only thing was there was a box that was sitting right where she wanted to go and she needed to move it. She tried to push it with her foot but it was too heavy to move. She frowned and bent down, trying to push it with her hands but again it was too heavy and didn't move an inch. She was about to try picking it up again when she heard a key in the lock and she straightened up a little too quickly. A wave of dizziness hit her and she stumbled backwards. Joey came through the door as she fell hard onto her bottom.

'Lauren!' he exclaimed rushing to her side 'what happened?' he said as he put his arm around her and helped her to her feet and then walked her backwards to sit on the sofa.

'I felt dizzy' she told him 'I'm okay, stop fussing' she shooed him away with her hands. Joey looked at her.

'What were you doing before I came in anyway?' he asked her, eyeing the box in the middle of the room.

'I wasn't doing anything' she told him.

'Were you trying to lift that box after I specifically told you not to?' he asked her with a frown.

'I can lift a box, Joey' she frowned back at him.

'Not when you are 8 months pregnant you can't' he snapped at her. 'Are you ever going to listen to me? To the doctors?' he frowned at her 'you're so stubborn and so pigheaded….' He trailed off feeling himself getting angry. He stood up and picked up the box and left the flat.

'Drama Queen' Lauren muttered under her breath as he left.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey unpacked the box he'd taken over to the house and he looked around it. He had spent countless hours painting the walls and making sure everything was working okay before the two of them moved in. He just had the nursery to finish off which he could do when the two of them moved in, which should be at the weekend. He walked through the house, checking that the boxes that had already been moved over had been unpacked, satisfied they had he made his way back to the flat to find Lauren packing more boxes. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer and sat down on the sofa with a sigh, toeing off his shoes and putting his feet up on the coffee table.

Lauren glanced at him with a frown, opening her mouth to say something and then thinking better of it. 'What?' Joey said glaring at her.

'Nothing' she said with a shrug. 'If you're happy to sit there and drink beer while I carry on packing up the flat that's fine' she told him 'you carry on, I can do all this by myself' she told him.

Joey blinked at her 'I've been at work all day, I had half an hour for lunch and I was up in the early hours of the morning looking for pickled onions and tomato sauce for you. I've been to the house and unpacked boxes, I think I'm entitled to one fucking beer when I come home from work' he snapped at her and got up, walking into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Lauren stared at the door and wondered what to do. Half an hour passed and he didn't come out of the bedroom. She finished packing another box and then went into the kitchen to make a drink. She heard the bedroom door open and close, she rushed to the lounge, getting there in time to see Joey leaving the flat.

'Joey…' she called out after him, crossing the room to the door, she opened it and moved to the top of the stairs 'Joey….' she called out again. He ignored her and slammed the bottom door as he walked out, leaving Lauren staring after him.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews….well the two of them are back from their honeymoon and getting ready to move into their new house before the baby is born. I wonder where Joey has gone? And wherever he is who is he with? Is he with anyone? Next chapter up tomorrow leave me a review x **


	154. Chapter 154

**Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Three**

Lauren continued packing as the hours passed and Joey still didn't come home. She made herself some dinner, nothing substantial like she would've had if Joey had been home, instead she had a bowl of cereal and a banana. She cleared up after herself and then sat on the sofa. She looked at her phone, plucking up the courage she dialed Joey's number. It rang three times and then was disconnected. She frowned and looked at the clock it was nearly 11:00pm, she was feeling tired so she took herself off to bed. When she woke in the morning and rolled over to cuddle up with Joey she discovered he wasn't there. His side of the bed hadn't even been slept in. She lay there for a while, wondering about where he could've spent the night. Many thoughts ran unbidden through her head. Climbing out of bed she walked through to the bathroom and started the shower running. An hour later she'd eaten breakfast and was ready to go to her midwife appointment at the hospital. She needed to leave in the next fifteen minutes if she was going to get there in time. She waited patiently for Joey and then called him five minutes before she needed to go. Once again the call was disconnected.

Letting herself out of the house, Lauren made her way to the bus stop and waited for the bus that would take her to the hospital.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren tried Joey again whilst she was on the bus to the hospital but once again she got no reply. She sat in the waiting room, looking at her phone and willing Joey to ring her. After the appointment she rode home again on the bus and let herself back into the empty flat. She sat down on the sofa and then lay down, the tears rolling down her cheeks, at Joey's absence and her mind worked overtime imagining different scenarios he could be in. She woke up a couple of hours later, feeling stiff and sore from falling asleep on the sofa and she slowly rose to her feet, a wave of dizziness hitting her and she wobbled on her feet for a few moments so she sat back down. When the dizziness passed she got up again and walked into the bedroom, changing her clothes before returning to the lounge. She felt dizzy again and steadied herself on the doorframe as she crossed from one room to another. She moved into the kitchen and started to pack up. Needing to keep herself busy so she didn't start to think about where Joey could've spent the night…or who with. As she was emptying the shelves of plastic containers, she overloaded herself and dropped some on the floor. She sighed and dropped the ones she was holding haphazardly into the box and slowly bent down. A sudden sharp sting sliced through her stomach and she cried out with the pain, her hands clutched her stomach as she fell to her knees. She stayed on the floor for a couple of minutes until the pain had passed. She figured she'd over done things, just like Joey told her she was. She decided to take things slowly and gathered up the boxes she'd dropped and put them into the box.

**JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey headed back to the flat after his afternoon shift at the club. He opened the door and the flat was quiet. It looked empty. 'Lauren?' he called out quietly. She didn't answer him, so he went into the bedroom to see if she was asleep. The bedroom was empty, as was the bathroom. He frowned, wondering where she could be, her handbag and phone were on the coffee table so she couldn't have gone too far and he figured she'd be back soon. He went into the bathroom, stripping off his clothes and starting the shower going. He was dog tired. All he wanted to do after his shower was crawl into bed and sleep. He'd gone to the new house to calm down a little bit after his little row with Lauren and he'd done some work on the nursery and then he'd sat down on a chair and he must've fallen asleep. By the time he'd woken up he was almost late for work. When he came out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and sat down on the bed, towel drying his hair. He frowned again, wondering where Lauren was. As tired as he was he knew he needed to find her, apologise for being so grumpy with her last night and make sure she was okay and have forgiven him for being bad tempered. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and decided to make a coffee. He walked into the kitchen and found Lauren there. She was wearing Joey's iPod as she looked through some user manuals she'd found in the drawer. He didn't want to scare her but she wasn't looking at him. He leant up against the doorframe watching her. She sighed and put the leaflets down on the counter and pulled the iPod off, putting it on top of the leaflets. She opened the fridge and looked inside briefly before closing the door, she turned around with a sigh and saw Joey standing in the doorway.

'Hi' he said softly. 'I'm sorry'

'Oh, well that makes everything okay then doesn't it' she said a little sharply. She walked out of the kitchen and went into the bedroom.

Joey sighed, following her 'I spent the night at the house, working on the nursery' he explained.

'Good for you' she replied. 'I went to the hospital for a check-up' she told him 'thanks for coming with me by the way'

'That was today?' he frowned 'I thought it was tomorrow?' he said sitting down on the bed, 'I'm sorry…'

'Yeah, you've already said' Lauren sighed. She stood up and the room spun. She put her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. Joey was at her side in an instant, taking her hand in his.

'You feeling dizzy again?' he asked her, his voice full of concern

'I'm fine' she told him, pushing him away. 'I'm going to have a shower' she told him and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her, he heard the sound of the lock turning. He sighed walked towards the bathroom door.

'How about I make us some dinner, hey?' he called through the door as he heard the shower start up. She didn't answer, Lauren obviously wasn't going to make this easy for him.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren sat at the table with Joey as he watched her pushing her food around her plate. 'You have to eat Lauren' he said.

'I'm not hungry' she said, getting up with her plate of untouched food and carrying it through to the kitchen, she scraped into the bin and then stood at the sink. Joey came in a few moments later.

'Do you want to come and see what I've done at the house?' he asked her 'it'll be ready for us to move into by the weekend' he told her.

'No, not really' she shook her head. 'I'm tired, I'm going to go and lie down'

'Kitten, I said I was sorry' Joey said quietly.

'I know, I heard you' she replied 'That word really doesn't mean that much to me anymore so…' she walked out of the room and Joey knew she was talking about Jake. He put his plate down and followed her into the bedroom. 'I had a bad day at work yesterday and I came home and took it out on you and I know it was wrong…I mean it when I say I'm sorry' he told her softly. 'I should've come home last night, I worked through until about 4 in the morning. I sat down for a few minutes and then I woke up at 11:00…the battery died on my phone and I honestly thought the hospital appointment was tomorrow' he told her 'I didn't deliberately not come…I would never do that…I don't want to fight with you' he said as she stripped off her clothes. 'Please, babe…I'm so sorry' he said climbing onto the bed, kneeling on top of it facing her. 'Please…' he whispered.

Lauren sighed as she pulled on the old t-shirt of Joey's she wore to sleep in. She pulled back the covers and climbed into the bed, sitting up so she could look at Joey. 'I was worried' she told him quietly.

'About me?' he asked her 'why?'

'I didn't know where you were…who you were with' she said to him 'I know we haven't had sex for a while and…'

'You thought I'd found someone else to sleep with?' he frowned at her, a little hurt she'd think that of him, especially now. She shrugged.

'Maybe' she looked down at her hands. Joey reached out and took her hands in his.

'I married you' he told her softly 'I love you. I want you' he reminded her 'that hasn't changed because we're not having sex' he told her. 'I'm not sleeping with anyone else. I don't want to sleep with anyone else' he shook his head, she raised her eyes to his. 'You have nothing to worry about on that front' he promised her 'ever'

'I'm sorry' she whispered, realising she thought the worst of him and that it must have hurt him.

Joey shook his head 'you don't have to be, I understand why you'd be worried' he said to her 'but you have to trust me, Lauren. I'm with you, I don't want anyone else. I'll never want anyone else. You're it for me' Lauren nodded her head and she moved forward and kissed him softly. 'Let's get some sleep, okay?'

'Okay' she nodded her head again and she moved down in the bed and moved into Joey's arms. He pressed his lips to her forehead as she closed her eyes. .

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. There are only four more chapters of this story left ****. Poor Lauren thinking that Joey was with someone else…her lack of reaction/anger must be because of her relationship with Jake…which makes me sadder. I hope Joey's explanation of where's he'd been and what he was doing made her feel better. Leave me a review back tomorrow.**


	155. Chapter 155

**Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-four**

Lauren woke up first and got up, pulling on her robe as she walked into the kitchen. She filled the kettle with water and whilst she waited for it to boil she walked to the window and looked out across the square. Jack had offered them the house Lauren first lived in to move into but Joey had refused straight away. He wanted a new house that didn't hold any bad memories for Lauren. A place of their own. So they were moving in next door to Derek. Lauren wondered what Jack was going to do with the house now. The kettle boiled and she made herself a cup of tea and carried it into the lounge, sitting on the sofa with it. She cradled her bump, rubbing it gently. She was suddenly worried she wasn't going to be a good mother, how was she going to teach her son or daughter right from wrong, how to be brave and stand up for themselves when she didn't and couldn't. The tears started to flow, and that was how Joey found her when he got up a few minutes later.

'Babe, what's the matter?' he asked her softly, as he sat down beside her taking the cup from her and put it down on the coffee table, moving her onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her.

'What if I'm a bad mum?' she sobbed against his shoulder.

'You won't be' he shook his head 'what's made you think about this?' he asked her 'Is it because the baby's nearly here?' she nodded her head.

'I'm scared' she told him. 'I don't know if I want to do this now' she admitted to him.

'Well, you only have a month to go…you can't change your mind now' he told her with a small smile.

'I know that' she told him and started to cry harder.

'Oh hey, come on' he said rubbing her back gently. 'Maybe you need to talk to your mum, hey?' he asked her 'I'll give her a call' he told her. He sat her back on the sofa and got up and called Tanya. After a brief chat, he moved back to the sofa. 'She's on her way over, babe' Lauren nodded her head and sobbed a bit harder.

Half an hour later Tanya arrived, Joey let her in and she took one look at her daughter and gave Joey a knowing smile. 'Mum!' Lauren exclaimed when she saw her. 'I don't want to have the baby anymore…' she burst into a fresh bout of tears.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Joey sat in the café, having been kicked out by Tanya, twirling his wedding ring around his finger as he worried about his wife. Jack came in and saw him and he brought himself a coffee. He walked over to Joey. 'Bit early for you to be in here isn't it?' Jack asked him 'Where's Lauren?'

'At home with Tanya' Joey said 'she's decided she doesn't want to have the baby now' he told him.

Jack blinked at him and then smiled 'all woman go through that mate when they're about to give birth…I'm sure Lauren's just feeling a bit scared is all, Tanya will talk to her and sort things out.'

'I tried talking to her but she just cried harder' Joey said to Jack.

'It's her hormones too mate, they're going to be all over the place' he told his nephew. 'You should be there with her, supporting her'

'Tanya kicked me out' Joey told him.

'Come on, let's get you home' he said, seeing the worry on his nephew's face.

Tanya looked up as the door to the flat opened and she saw Jack and Joey come inside. She could see how worried Joey looked and she smiled at him. 'She's okay. She's in the shower' she told him. 'Just a wobble'

Joey nodded his head, he wasn't going to take her word for it; he wanted to see for himself if she was okay. He headed to the bedroom and then tried the bathroom door, finding it open, he stepped inside, closing the bathroom door behind him, seeing Lauren in the shower. She was humming to herself, he smiled and he opened the door. 'Hey' he said softly, making his presence known. Lauren turned round to look at him and she smiled at him sheepishly.

'Hey' she replied 'I'm really sorry about earlier…' she told him.

'You had me worried' he told her, stepping into the shower with her, fully clothed.

'What are you doing?' she exclaimed and then giggled as his hands rested on her stomach and he dropped to his knees. He kissed her belly softly. 'Joey…' she brushed her fingers through his hair gently as he continued to kiss her tummy.

He looked up at her and stood up, brushing her wet hair off her face 'I love you, Lauren and you're going to be an amazing mother, there's no doubt of that in my mind' he told her softly 'and when you go into labour I'm going to be right by your side in the delivery room, where you'll probably call me names. Where you'll probably tell me that I'm never ever having sex with you again' he told her and she smiled at him.

'I love you too' she told him softly 'and I know you'll be with me when I have the baby' she said 'and I probably will call you names and threaten to maim you if you ever try to have sex with me again but mum says that's perfectly natural' she said to him softly. 'And once we have the baby home I'll forget how painful the birth was and I'll want to have another baby and we'll have sex again' she said to him.

'Your mum sounds very wise' he told her and she giggled.

'I'm sorry I haven't wanted sex lately…' she told him.

'It's okay' he told her with a smile 'I happen to know it's worth the wait' he reminded her, she tilted her head towards his and he kissed her softly, and then pulled her into his arms. 'You're worth the wait, kitten' he whispered in her ear.

'I'm feeling a little horny now…' she whispered back to him. Joey pulled back to look at her.

'Yeah?'

'Yeah' she nodded her head and then erupted into giggles as Joey began to strip off his sodden clothes.

**AN: Thanks for all your reviews. Oh dear Lauren had a bit of a blip and decided she didn't want to have a baby anymore… as Joey told her it's a little too late for her to change her mind now. At least she had her mum to talk to her and everything's okay again now. Lauren's hormones really are all over the place aren't there? Well...there is another chapter up for grabs tonight IF ad only if I have at least 25 reviews by 9:00pm..so it's up to you! Leave me a review. x**


	156. Chapter 156

**Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-five**

Over the next few weeks, Lauren and Joey moved into their new house and Joey finished decorating the nursery, and at Lauren's insistence, he moved the cot into their bedroom. She'd got the corner of their bedroom ready for when she had the baby, with the changing mat and nappies and everything else they may need. Joey's underwear was now mingled with hers as she used the top drawer to put in some of the smaller baby clothes they had so they could change the baby's clothes in here too.

Lauren was pleased they had everything ready before she was due to go into labour, it was one less thing she had to worry about. They were still playing around with baby names. Boys and Girls. Both of them had opted not to find out the sex of the baby, deciding they wanted to be surprised. Quite a few girl's names had been vetoed, mainly because after Lauren had suggested them Joey had casually admitted he'd had a one night stand with a girl of the same name. This had caused a row between the two of them that they both knew was silly but with Lauren's raging hormones and Joey's need to defend his lifestyle before her, led to Lauren throwing the "Bumper Book of Baby names" at him and telling him to just cross out ones he'd slept with. Joey had called her ridiculous and unbalanced (probably not the best choice of words for someone whose hormones made her feel as though she was walking on a knife edge) and this caused Lauren to call him some choice names too, before she stormed up to their bedroom in tears and proceeded in throwing Joey's clothes around the room.

They made up half an hour later when Joey took up a cup of hot chocolate and some of Lauren's favourite biscuits, finding her wearing his new hooded sweatshirt. She smiled as he came in, telling her he was sorry and he loved her and he was a great big man whore, pre her. Now he was just a man in love.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren's due date came, but as she'd read in many books and on numerous websites, it didn't always result in the baby actually being born on the exact due day. So when she woke up, for the second time that morning, feeling exactly the same as she did every other day, she decided she was going to go into town. She showered and dressed and got a cab into town to get the last minute things she needed for Joey's birthday.

By the time she got home she was laden with bags and her feet and back ached. What she really wanted to do was soak in a hot tub of water. But she knew there was no way she could get into the bath easily and if she did manage to get in the bath she'd have no hope in Hell of getting out again. So she settled for another shower. She finished wrapping up the rest of his presents and then slowly carried them into the lounge and put them all out on the dining table for him to open when he came home. They'd discussed what Joey wanted to do for his birthday and he just wanted to spend the night with Lauren, he didn't want a party or a night out. A takeaway and a DVD with his favourite girl was all he wanted. He also wanted to open presents and cards at night after work. So Lauren had done everything he'd asked for. She'd given him a birthday blow job in the shower this morning before he'd gone to work as well as a card and a small present and then she'd gone back to bed for another couple of hours.

Now she was anxiously waiting for Joey to come back, she'd ordered his favourite takeaway and was waiting for that to arrive too. Her back twinged for the hundredth time that day and she frowned. Maybe she'd over done it a little today, she'd walked around town for a couple of hours. She would tell Joey a little white lie if he asked her what she'd been doing today. He was a worrier. It was very sweet and she loved him for it, but at the same time it was a little annoying.

Half an hour later the takeaway arrived and then five minutes later Joey did. She grinned at him as he walked through the door and saw the huge pile of presents on the table. 'What's all this for?' he asked her.

'It's your birthday' she told him 'I may have brought you some more presents'

'Some more, there's a huge pile here, it's like Christmas' he said smiling at her 'are these all for me?' he asked her.

Lauren nodded her head 'yep, every single present on this table is for you' she said to him 'I wanted to spoil you for a change, let you know how much I love you'

'I already know that, babe' he said, pulling her into his arms 'I already know I'm a very lucky man and you didn't need to do all of this' he told her 'but thank you' he pulled her into a kiss. 'I love you too, kitten'

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Lauren looked up at Joey tearfully. 'I'm really sorry' she said softly 'I ruined your birthday. You didn't even get to open a present' she told him.

Joey looked at her in horror 'Lauren, you haven't ruined anything. You've given me the best birthday present ever' he told her softly as he sat down on the bed beside her, a little bundle swaddled in his arms. 'You did good Kitten' he said and he carefully bent down and kissed her.

'Happy birthday, Joey' she said with a watery smile.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. As promised here is the second chapter! It's one of my favourites in the whole story! I hope you like it. The next chapter will be up tomorrow and then the last one will be up on Tuesday! Leave me a review xx **


	157. Chapter 157

**AN: So this chapter is a bit of a time jump. Meant to mention that in the author's notes last night but I forgot! **

**Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Six **

Joey lay awake watching Lauren as she slept, she had a small contented smile on her face. He smiled remembering back to the first time they'd had sex. She'd told him she'd only ever been with one man, her husband, they didn't really have sex a lot. After 9 years of marriage she'd said she could count on her fingers the amount of times they'd had sex. She'd blushed when she told him she was really inexperienced…. and she'd also told him she didn't really enjoy sex. Joey had changed that. They'd fucked numerous times and in numerous ways. There wasn't anything Joey hadn't done to Lauren she didn't thoroughly enjoy. And now she'd ran out of fingers and toes to keep count on of how many times they'd sex, even if she counted Joeys fingers and toes too.

Lauren had been used to the good old fashioned missionary position and hadn't done anything other than that. With Joey she'd done it doggy style, up against the wall, bent over a chair, bent over a bed, on a chair, on a table. She'd been on top, facing him and with her back to him, they'd fucked in the shower, in the bath, in practically every single room of his flat, and now their house…well apart from the utility closet. You couldn't even get one person in there, let alone two. Which, if Joey was honest, was the only reason they hadn't fucked in there too. They'd also fucked in the club, in the staff room, on the desk in Sharon's office, on the bar and in the men's and women's toilets and numerous times in the basement.

They'd experimented with food, with outfits, they'd even tried a little light bondage… all of which Joey was delighted to say Lauren had enjoyed to the full. He'd even taken her in the kitchen during one of the rare times she'd managed to sneak out for the whole day when she was still with Jake. She'd been facing him and her back was pressed against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist. He'd seen Jake cross the square and go into the house he'd shared with Lauren and Joey had felt a thrill flow through him when he thought Jake was possibly going inside to see if Lauren was there. And all the while she was at Joey's flat being well and truly fucked and thoroughly enjoying it, if the noises she'd been making were anything to go by.

A tiny cry pulled him from his musings, he climbed out of bed and crossed the room to the crib in the corner. 'Hello you' he said softly leaning over the crib and scooping up his son. 'You're hungry hey?' he asked him, 'let's get you a bottle' he glanced over at a sleeping Lauren and carried his son down the stairs to the kitchen, he heated one of the bottles of expressed milk and carried him back up the stairs and sat down on the bed, leaning against the headboard as he started to feed his son. Joey gazed down at the little boy in his arms as he suckled hungrily. Lauren stirred beside him and she rolled over and opened her eyes, seeing Joey sitting up with the baby.

'He woke up?' she asked sleepily.

'Mmhmm, he's hungry' Joey looked at her, she sat up and lightly brushed the baby's head, leaning forward she placed a soft kiss to his soft downy hair. 'Go back to sleep babe, I've got him' he told her softly.

'You're amazing with him' she said softly. 'Totally different from when we first brought him home from the hospital' she smiled as she remembered how Joey wouldn't even attempt to pick him up for fear of hurting him. You could hand Joey the baby and he wouldn't move from his position until you took the baby away from him again, which could've been hours later.

'I know how to hold him now' he said smiling down at his son. 'And he's not so scary after all, are you hey?' he cooed softly. 'He's a little bundle of perfection'

'Joey Branning, you're just a big softie' she teased him

'I am when it comes to you and to this little one' he glanced at her.

She pulled herself to sit up, not caring that the sheet had fallen away and she was bare breasted. She pressed a kiss to Joey's shoulder before laying her head on it. Joey's eyes moved to her exposed breasts and he smiled at how confident she was about her body now, about her sexuality. He knew he had more than a little to do with that. She smiled at him as she climbed out of bed totally naked and disappeared into the bathroom.

When she came back a few minutes later, Joey was winding his son. Lauren giggled as he burped loudly. 'I see he gets his manners from your mother' Joey said as he grinned at her. His eyes travelled over her naked body as she walked around the room to her side of the bed. He caught sight of the tattoo she had on her hip and he smiled, it was the twin to the one he had. A little red heart that'd been sewn back together so it was whole again. He remembered the day they'd got them. It was only two weeks ago, and Lauren had told him that it tickled instead of hurting like she'd thought it would. This tattoo had meaning. This tattoo symbolised how their hearts had been mended. Lauren had repaired Joey's and Joey had repaired Lauren's. Of course, now that Lauren had a tattoo she was keen on planning the next one they were going to get, Joey, however wasn't so sure he wanted to have another tattoo…but he was pretty sure Lauren would persuade him to.

'Ha, ha funny guy!' she said to him poking out her tongue at him as she climbed back under the covers. 'I'll tell mum you said that' she teased him.

'You do that' he grinned at her. 'And you can put that tongue of yours to good use once I put this little one down' he told her, his eyes darkening with lust.

'Oh can I?' she raised her eyebrows at him.

'Yes' he nodded. He looked down at his son and saw he was falling asleep again. He rubbed his back gently for a few more minutes. Lauren kissed her son's head gently.

'Night baby boy' she whispered softly. Joey smiled and carried him back to the crib and lay him down on his stomach, pulling the covers half way over him. He gazed at him adoringly for a few moments and turned back to the bed.

He stalked over to Lauren and she giggled and covered herself with the sheet, pulling it up over her head. Joey laughed softly. 'That's not going work, Kitten. I can still see you' he told her as he ducked under the covers, she squealed and then covered her mouth quickly.

'Ssh…You'll wake the baby!' he scolded her quietly. 'Come here wife! I want my conjugal rights'

Lauren giggled 'You've already had them twice tonight!' she reminded him.

'Keeping count are we?' Joey said with a smile, rolling them both so she was underneath him, her legs either side of his.

'No' she smiled shaking her head.

Joey looked down at her 'I love you, wife' he said.

Lauren giggled 'I love you too, husband' she replied. He bent down and kissed her, the sort of kiss that left her breathless, he brushed her nose with his.

'I love you more' he told her softly. 'I never imagined I'd be married to the woman of my dreams and a father 18 months ago' he said to her 'You were just supposed to be a bit of fun' he told her pretending to be cross with her. 'I'd never fucked a married woman before, I figured it would be another thing to cross off my bucket list' he teased her.

'Now you get to fuck one every day' Lauren smiled at him.

'Yeah I do' he nodded his head 'I didn't really fancy you when you weren't married' he teased her.

'That was only for 3 weeks' she told him with a frown.

'Three weeks too long' he told her. 'Anyway I've decided from now on I'm only going to have sex with married women'

'Women? Plural?' she raised her eyebrows questioningly. 'Really? Some other married woman out there has caught your eye have they?' she asked him.

'Okay one married woman' he corrected 'You'

'Glad to hear it' she said pulling him down into a kiss, she slid her hand into his hair. 'Because if you cheat on me ever…'

'Never going to happen…. Not when you're the best fuck I've ever had' he told her sincerely.

'I love that you're so romantic, Joey' she told him.

'I try' he grinned at her. 'I mean it though, I'm never going to cheat on you or little Noah James' he told her softly, becoming serious. 'You two are my whole world now'

'And you are ours' Lauren whispered reaching up to kiss him, he moaned softly as her tongue slid between his lips, into his mouth. His fingers delved between her thighs, finding her already wet, he positioned himself at her entrance and pushed forward slowly until he was seated deep inside her. He broke the kiss and watched her face as he started to move slowly inside her, as he began to make love to his wife.

**AN: Well that's the end of TBB…well there is one more chapter to come. The epilogue. This chapter will be posted tomorrow. Thank you all for all of your reviews for TBB, I really do appreciate each and every one of them including guest reviews **** Yes I am planning on writing more stories. I have three on the go at the moment. One is almost ready for posting just needs to go through the editing process. Please leave me a review for this chapter of TBB. Back tomorrow. **


	158. Chapter 158

**EPILOGUE**

'Daddy! Daddy!' Noah cried out seeing his father as he descended the steps into the club. 'Mama down!' he wriggled in Lauren's arms. Joey turned and a bright smile lit up his face as he saw his wife and son. Three years on and he was even more in love with Lauren than he had been when they'd married. He smiled as Lauren whispered something in the little boy's ear and he in turn frowned at Lauren but nodded his head nonetheless. She lowered him to the ground and Joey crouched down and opened his arms wide. Noah ran across the room and launched himself at his daddy 'Hi daddy. Noah's missed you' he said planting a wet noisy kiss to his cheek.

'I've missed you too, buddy' Joey smiled hugging his son tightly. Joey loved being a father. It was true, at first he was worried about picking up and holding his son, but he was really little at 6lbs when he was born and Joey didn't want to hurt him. But now Joey liked to hold his little man in his arms. 'Did you have a good time with mummy?' he asked him as he picked Noah up, his eyes moved to his wife, watching her as she crossed the room towards him.

'Uh-huh' Noah nodded his head as he ran his fingers over the crocodile motif on Joey's shirt 'we's went to the doctor's. Noah had a check-up' he told Joey 'His ear's all betterer'

'Yeah? Well that's good. Daddy told you the medicine would make it all better didn't I, hey?' he asked him, Noah had been suffering from an ear infection for more than six weeks and as a result, Lauren and Joey both had a lot of sleepless nights, not to mention Noah had been very clingy with his mummy and Lauren had ended up sleeping with the little boy nearly every night. Which meant Joey slept alone and he and Lauren had barely touched each other.

'He's said Noah's ear was ceen and healfy' Noah said. Joey smiled at how cute he found it when Noah talked in the third person.

'So does that mean daddy can have mummy back at bed time?' he asked the little boy, his eyes meeting Lauren's over their son's head, she shook her head as a knowing smile appeared on her lips.

'I 'spose' Noah nodded his head 'mummy nores' he pulled a face 'keeps Noah wake'

'I do not snore!' Lauren protested 'little monkey!' she tickled her son and he squirmed and giggled in Joey's arms.

'She does, daddy, she does!' Noah exclaimed laughing hard.

'She does' Joey nodded his head in agreement with his son, 'but daddy thinks it's very cute' he looked at Lauren and he moved forward and gave her a soft kiss. 'Hi, Kitten' he said softly. Lauren smiled at him.

'Hi; she replied.

'Can Noah haf a dink daddy?'

'Of course you can, orange juice okay for you, buddy?'

'Uh-uh, yep owange jooce will be fine' Noah nodded.

'Okay, you sit here and Daddy will get you an orange juice' he told him carrying him toward the bar.

'Ta daddy' Noah replied with a grin.

'I'll have an orange juice too please' Lauren asked him.

'Coming up' Joey smiled at her. Joey sat him down on a stool, Lauren sat next to him and gave him a straw. Joey put a little orange juice bottle in front of him, holding onto the bottle as Noah concentrated hard as he tried to put the straw in it. His little tongue came out and a frown marred his tiny forehead. Lauren smiled.

'Do you want mummy to help you?' she asked him.

'No! Noah can do it' the little boy protested, suddenly the straw slid into the top of the bottle and a proud smile lit up his face 'see! Noah did it' he grinned at Lauren.

'Yes you did, well done, champ' she smiled and ruffled his hair.

Noah sucked up some orange juice and then burped, covering his mouth with a giggle. 'Noah' Joey gave him a disapproving look 'what do you say?'

'Pardon me' Noah said with a smile. Lauren took over holding the bottle as Joey poured Lauren's orange in to a glass and slid it across the bar to her.

'Thank you' she smiled at him. She pulled out a colouring book and some crayons and put them down next to Noah, he turned to look at her with a big smile.

'Fankoo mama' he grinned at her.

'So, Noah's got the all clear?' Joey asked her as he watched Noah start to colour. Lauren nodded her head.

'Yep, the doctor thinks he's going to be okay but if he gets an ear infection again he might refer us to the hospital to see if there's anything else going on' she told Joey 'but for now, he doesn't need to go back to the doctors'

'That's good' Joey smiled, grabbing another orange juice and pouring it into a glass, he took a sip. 'So does that mean that you and I can resume our S.E.X life?' he raised his eyebrows at her suggestively.

'Maybe' she smiled back him her cheeks flushing slightly, Joey grinned at the effect he clearly still had on his wife.

'What's S.E.X?' Noah asked turning to look at both his parents and inquisitive look on his face.

'Never you mind' Joey told him a little surprised Noah had been listening, usually when he was colouring even the smoke alarm going off in the house wouldn't disturb him, he was usually so focused on his colouring. 'Mama had a check-up too' Noah announced suddenly, his previous question forgotten.

'She did?' Joey looked at Lauren in concern as she drank her wine.

'Uh-huh' Noah nodded. 'The doctor ran some tests on mama.'

'Oh?' Joey looked at Lauren. She licked her lips 'Anything I should know about?' he asked her.

'Mama said Noah had to keep it a seeket' Noah replied.

Lauren laughed, shaking her head 'did she now?' Joey smiled at his son as he put his drink down and walked round to the other side of the bar. With a quick glance at Noah, Lauren turned on her stool to face Joey.

'Is everything okay?' he asked her in a low voice, Lauren nodded her head, she could see the worried look in his eyes.

'Yes, everything is fine, I just got a little dizzy when I got up from the chair after the doctor had finished with Noah. He insisted on taking my blood pressure, running a few tests, the results of which all say I'm fine'

'Are you anaemic again?' he asked her, remembering how she had become anaemic after she'd given birth to Noah. He knew she was very tired all the time and slept almost as much as Noah had done for the first few weeks after they'd brought him home from the hospital.

'No' Lauren shook her head 'there's nothing to worry about' she said sliding off the stool, 'will you watch him, I need to go to the ladies?'

'Sure' Joey nodded as he watched his wife walk across the floor, he was worried even though she had told him she was okay. He sighed.

'Daddy where do babies come from?' Noah asked Joey.

Joey blinked and stared at his son 'what?'

'Where do babies come from?' Noah repeated, turning his attention away from his colouring to look up at his father with a curious look on his face.

'I think you are a little too young to need to know the answer to that question' he told him taking Lauren's seat.

'That's what mama told Noah' the little boy frowned, pulling a face.

'You and mummy were talking about babies?' Joey asked his son.

'There was a weally fat lady in the waiting room and mama said she wasn't fat that she had a baby in her tummy' Noah explained.

'Oh I see' Joey nodded his head in understanding.

'How did the baby get in the lady's tummy?' Noah looked up at Joey questioningly with his big brown innocent eyes.

'Well...the baby…well it's….it's….it's complicated Noah.' Joey struggled to find the right words that were three year-old friendly.

'I'm sure that's going to stop him asking questions, because it's complicated' Lauren teased him as she came back over to them. She bent down and kissed the top of Noah's head and looked at Joey, her eyes sparkling.

'What am I supposed to tell him? He's three years-old' Joey replied with a slight frown.

'Well you better think of something quick…because in a little over three months I'm going to start to show and he's going have even more questions' she told him.

Joey blinked at her 'what?'

'You're going to be a daddy again' she chewed on her bottom lip, wondering what his reaction was going to be.

'Are you saying what I think you are saying?' he asked her getting off the stool. She nodded her head. 'Are you pregnant?'

'Yep, six weeks' she said quietly.

'Kitten! That's great news' he grabbed her, pulling her into his arms and he picked her up and spun her round, Noah giggled as Lauren squealed. 'Oh my god!' he exclaimed. He stroked her cheek 'are you sure you feel okay? The doctor said you were okay?'

'I feel fine Joey. And the doctor said I was too' she said with a smile 'are you really pleased?' she asked him.

'I'm thrilled babe' he told her, 'Just when I thought I couldn't love you anymore than I do…I am so in love with you' he said and he moved forward and he kissed her, his tongue delving between her lips, she wrapped her arms around his neck kissing him back.

'EEEWWW! That's gross!' Noah exclaimed covering his eyes.

They broke apart with a laugh. Joey smiled at Lauren and he dropped to his knees and he pressed a kiss to her flat stomach. 'I love you' he whispered to the little life growing inside, he got to his feet again and looked at the woman who had captured his heart so many years ago, who he fell in love with a little bit more every single day. 'I love you so much, Mrs Branning'

'I love you too, Mr Branning' she smiled at him, looping her arms around his neck 'so much'

'Tonight, after this one's in bed' Joey nodded his head towards Noah 'I am going to show you just how much I love you'

'I can't wait' Lauren whispered. They stared into each other's eyes as they thought about the long pleasureable night ahead.

'Noah love you too' a little voice interrupted their thoughts.

'Mummy and daddy love you too buddy' Joey told him with a smile. He let Lauren go momentarily and scooped his son off the stool, hugging him tightly before taking him to Lauren. Noah put an arm around both his parent's necks.

'So you'd better get thinking how to explain how this b.a.b.y got in my t.u.m.m.y' Lauren spelt out the key words with a grin.

Joey smiled nodding his head 'I'll ask dad how he told me about Alice' he said.

'Good plan' Lauren smiled at him, she pressed her lips against his.

'EW! Stop it!' Noah exclaimed in disgust. Joey laughed at his son's reaction.

***JB*JB*JB*JB***

Four years ago, Joey Branning was the infamous bad boy. He was a player. He'd made promises to numerous girls, ones which he had no intention of keeping, to get what he wanted from them. He broke hearts without a care in the world. But now…Joey was nothing like the bad boy he was then. Now he was a father, a husband, a family man. And he was in love.

If anyone had told him four years ago he would meet a girl who would change his life forever he would have dismissed them as being crazy. But now he was the one who was crazy. He was crazy head over heels in love with his wife. With Lauren Branning. The most beautiful kind hearted sexy woman he'd ever met. He had a 4 year old son and he was now holding his newborn daughter in his arms. He smiled down at her. He and Lauren were calling her Hannah Ruby Branning. He was a very lucky man. He gazed down at his wife and his heart swelled with love for her.

**AN: Well that is the end of TBB. Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. Thank you to 74crazychick for everything she has done to help me as well as editing duties! I am so glad you all enjoyed it. So for one last time for TBB, leave me a review and let me know what you think of the last chapter….. **

**THE END**


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